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So, you think you’re having a bad day?
Bet it wasn’t as bad as this guy’s.
Several years ago, I was fortunate to be in an innovative, Consultative Selling training program. At the time, I had just started working for Xerox Computer Services, a division of Xerox. It was an intensive, five-week-long, program. There were seven of us. Two women, and five men, from different states. Each day, we would have a guest speaker, providing us with information and instruction about aspects of not only this unique selling program but also technical information regarding the software platform and its benefits.
To put this training in perspective, we were selling software that Xerox had developed in the mid-1970s. It was the predecessor of SaaS (Software as a Service) and utilized a Graphical User Interface (GUI), which Xerox created that both Apple and Microsoft later commercialized.
Today, that doesn’t sound like a big deal. But, again, this was in the mid-1970s. So, to say convincing someone to buy this software was a challenge would be a huge understatement.
This particular day, one of the software gurus, was going to be sharing information about the interactivity aspect of the Xerox program. How it allowed businesses worldwide to simultaneously “talk” with each other via the “Ethernet” and update multiple databases pertaining to sales, inventory, financial information, just-in-time delivery, spontaneous tracking systems, and more.
Our instructor introduced the software guru; providing us with some background information about him. When he finished his introduction, the presenter stood up and started walking to the front of the room. Looking a little nervous. My immediate thought was, “Boy, this ought to be really good,” another, boring, hard-to-stay-awake tech talk.
He stood there silently for a few seconds. Squinting his eyes. Making nervous facial expressions while swallowing hard and clearing his throat. Looking panicky, trying to compose himself. It was almost like he knew we had already decided his talk was going to be boring. He took a drink of water. Coughed into his closed hand twice. Then began relating how his day had started.
He explained rushing down the hallway in his house, towards the front door to leave. Once there, he reached for the doorknob and started turning it. As soon as he touched it. It broke off in his hand.
He told us he was running late. And as he was leaving the house, he yelled down the hallway to his wife. Asking her to have the local handyman fix it, and started heading towards his car.
When he got there, he quickly grabbed the door handle. Apparently, a little too quickly, and like before, just as he touched it. It broke off in his hand. So, he went around to the other side of the car. Jumped in the passenger side, sliding over behind the steering wheel. He then drove to work. Eventually getting there and parked in his assigned spot. Got out of his car. Hurrying to the entrance door of his office building. Went to open the door, grabbed the handle. And, just as he touched it, you guessed it . . .
The handle broke off in his hand.
That’s when he stopped talking. Turned his head down. Staring at the floor. Then, he lifted his head. Looking out nervously at us and said,
“Everything I touched today has broken and fallen off.
At this point, I’m afraid to go to the men’s room.”
There was silence for a few seconds. Then everyone broke out laughing. From that moment on, he definitely had our undivided attention and made boring tech talk, not so boring after all.
Humor had opened the door to learning, and touched us. In a good way.
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The experience that gives new meaning to torture.
"Thank you for attending. Your keys will be returned at the conclusion of the 5-hour PowerPoint presentation from which the presenter will be reading."
We've all been there . . . Death by PowerPoint.
Those excruciatingly painful. Boring. Self-serving. Seemingly never-ending presentations. Where the presenter has tons of cluttered slides and reads from every ... one ... of ... them. Usually in a dull or annoying voice. Making little or no eye contact. Asking no questions. Or, in many cases, just ignoring those that were asked.
Of course, they didn’t bother to rehearse. As a result, they awkwardly droned on, stumbling, speaking too softly. Mostly to themselves. Didn’t bother using any relevant and attention-getting “hooks.” Like words, visuals, humor, and stories that linked and reinforced key points. And doing it in a compelling manner their audience would be able to clearly understand and relate.
And importantly . . . to remember.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. Think of the good presentations you’ve seen. The really good ones. The ones that were enlightening, entertaining, and informative. The ones that repeatedly captured and kept your attention and your interest. The ones that you recognized as having meaningful and quantifiable value. Real value for you. The ones that made you want to know more. They were more than just a presentation.
They were performances.
Make yours like those.
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The Professor and the Chauffer
Things aren’t always as they appear.
A geology professor had written a detailed research study that started to attract some word-of-mouth attention. This was before social media, so he was still relatively unknown. Other than his immediate colleagues, few people even knew what he looked like.
To further create awareness for his research, the university where the professor worked, encouraged him to do 10 regional campus visits within driving distance of his home base. His department had even arranged for a car and a chauffeur to take him to the various campuses.
After having been together for a while, the professor and the chauffeur became comfortable with one another. As they were driving from one campus on the way to the next, the chauffeur jokingly said to the professor, “I’ve seen your presentation six times now, and I could probably deliver it better than you can.” They both laughed. Then, after thinking about it, the professor said, “How about if we see? Nobody at our next engagement knows what I look like. So, I’ll let you give the presentation.”
Realizing the professor was serious, the chauffeur agreed and they traveled on to the next campus, where the “chauffeur” became the “professor.”
They were both dressed appropriately and upon their arrival, were escorted into a waiting area backstage of an auditorium. They were met there by a woman who was their host and informal introductions were made to who was perceived to be the professor and his chauffeur.
Pleasantries were exchanged for a few minutes, then their host excused herself, moved out from behind the backstage curtain, and walked out onto the stage. Once there, she explained who their guest presenter was and provided some background information. She then turned, faced offstage, and held her hand out as she gestured towards the “professor” and invited him out to meet the audience.
Instead of the typical four-, or five-person attendees as had been with past presentations, the auditorium was packed. A fact that revealed itself to the “professor” as he made his way onto the stage and to his “chauffeur” who remained backstage.
After the initial shock dissipated, the faux-professor moved to center stage. He stood there nervously arranging some notes on a lectern. Looked back toward the chauffeur/professor. Then, he took a deep breath and began to speak.
What came out of his mouth was not only informative and highly accurate, it was presented in such a way that it drew the audience into the geologic story that the professor was weaving with his compelling words and gestures.
The audience was captivated. The presentation was memorable. And when the presentation was over, the “professor” received a standing ovation. The “chauffeur” looked on incredulously regarding what he had just witnessed. He too was impressed by the performance, its delivery, and the reaction from the audience.
By this time, the faux-professor was feeling pleased with himself. He had proved his point to the real professor. He felt good about it and was confident. So confident, he then brazenly asked,
“Does anyone have any questions?”
Immediately several hands shot up. It was then he realized his mistake, but he had to go through with it. So, arbitrarily he picked out someone from the front row who had been energetically trying to get his attention.
Once recognized, the excited person, then stood and enthusiastically asked, “Professor, what’s your interpretation regarding the law of superposition as to why it is inapplicable to intrusive, highly deformed, or metamorphic bodies of rock lacking discernible stratification?”
The professor/chauffeur was quiet for several seconds. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the real professor shrinking in his seat, and lowering his head feeling guilty about the charade.
It was then the faux-professor gathered himself and said . . .
“Thank you for your question. And while your question is complex, the answer is relatively simple. In fact, it’s so simple, I’m going to have my chauffeur answer it.”
Takeaways:
Even detailed presentations can be made to be captivating, intriguing, and memorable. Being smart is good. Being street-smart makes it better. (But, then again. I’m slightly biased.)
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There are answers.
And then there are memorable answers.
Several years ago, I was in a meeting with my then-supervisor. At one point during our conversation, he looked down at my left hand. Focusing on the fingernails of my left forefinger and thumb. I could understand why.
They were both black and blue. Very black and blue.
He continued to stare at my fingernails. Finally, he looked at me with his brows drawn tightly together, a confused look on his face, and asked, “What happened to your fingernails?”
I looked down at my fingers. Was quiet for a few seconds. Then, looked back up at him and said ...“I’m right-handed.”
He thought about my answer, but I could tell he was even more confused.
Once again, I was quiet for a few seconds before answering his anticipated unasked question. And then said,
“I hold the nails in my left hand.”
There was a slight delay as he thought about my answer. Then, the veil of confusion lifted. He got it. He understood I held the hammer in my right hand and what I had done. He smiled. Then, laughed. A lot.
So, what’s my point?
Yes, I could have told him that I smashed the fingers on my left hand with a 16 oz. hammer after I’d missed the nail I was holding in my left hand.
But, that would’ve been boring.
What’s that have to do with business?
I think anytime you have an opportunity to answer someone’s question in a way that will make them stop, think about it, and then be able to relate to it until they arrive at their own “aha” moment is more memorable.
Of course, it may not always be appropriate. But when it is, if you can get them to nod their head in agreement, smile, or laugh, it will help reinforce the memorability of both the answer and you.
To that point, the next time I write, I’ll tell you what I did during a presentation to the nation’s largest combined port, transit, airport, and infrastructure authority.
What’s the takeaway?
You can answer a question two ways.
One is direct.
The other way is to make someone stop, and think about your answer in a relatable manner that reinforces the point you want to make. And let them come to their conclusion.
Both work. But, one is more memorable on deeper levels.
Use the right one and ... you’ll nail it. (Sorry, couldn’t resist.)
What about Bob?
Communicate. Persuade. Succeed. I’ve created business development tools and communication approaches designed to help people and companies establish Credibility, Build Trust, Deliver Value, and Improve Revenue. Try to have a little fun in the process to keep things in perspective and reinforce learning. I’m pretty easy to reach. Pretty easy to talk with too. (Although my wife might disagree with that last part.)
[email protected] +1.610.212.3195 (Mobile)
#softskills#StreetSmartSalesSecrets#SoftSkillsSuccessSecrets#softskillshardreturns#business development#client relationship management
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The Hidden Dangers of Role-playing
Sometimes it can work too well.
There’s a good chance that if you’re in a sales, business development, account management, or customer-experience position, you’ve had some type of training. In all likelihood, one of the training components included role-playing.
About 100 light-years ago, I went through several weeks of an intensive training program that included role-playing. The instructors guided and instilled in us the benefits of Soft Skills. Especially in relationship to things like presentation physics, active listening, proposal structure, follow-up methods, C-level communication, collaboration, overcoming objections, and importantly, recognizing “closing” signals. Indicators that the prospect was ready to buy.
To set the stage for each role-playing session, our instructors insisted we address them as “Mr. or Ms. Prospect.” Emphasizing how it would reinforce our sales-muscle memory. Conditioning us to view the discussion from the prospect’s perspective as it pertained to the specific-training topic. The objective was to embed in us the foundational concept of not trying to “sell” anyone anything. But to give prospects valid reasons to buy something that would address their needs. And by doing so, the outcome would evolve naturally into a foregone conclusion. An assumed “close.” Not something artificial, contrived, or forced.
Finally, after the completion of all our training and role-playing exercises, we were unleashed into our respective regional territories.
After about a month had gone by, we had an informal update session. The objective was to share experiences, compare notes, and learn from each other. We each talked about the good things and not-so-good-things we encountered in the field. Meeting with and presenting to “real-life” prospects.
The last person to speak was a very bright, very articulate, personable, and talented woman. She began her story by recounting a meeting she had with the CEO of one of her targeted companies.
She walked us through the trajectory and momentum of her meeting. Commenting on how the flow of conversation was textbook in format. Touching on each crucial point we were trained on. The anticipated questions, overcoming objections, the quantified ROI value being offered, the turnaround times. Her real-life discussion pattern unfolding almost exactly as our instructors had drilled into us. Culminating with the CEO nodding his head in agreement as she successfully addressed each of those crucial points.
And with each nod of his head, her excitement grew. She recognized the CEO was making all the right closing gestures and had just reached the “assumed close” portion of their discussion. His affirmations signaling his intent to buy from her.
It was time.
And with that realization, she had taken a deep breath and said,
“So, Mr. Prospect, don’t you agree …”
Sometimes, ya just gotta laugh.
What about Bob?
Communicate. Persuade. Succeed. I’ve created business development tools and communication approaches designed to help people and companies establish Credibility, build Trust, deliver Value and improve Revenue. Try to have a little fun in the process to keep things in perspective and reinforce learning. I’m pretty easy to reach. Pretty easy to talk with too. (Although my wife might disagree with that last part.)
[email protected] +1.610.212.3195 (Mobile)
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“If you want to make sure your words matter, do this.”
But what follows ... not so much.
Before
I was sitting in my office, doing some out-of-the-box thinking on how I could get my company’s business-development efforts up to the next level, so we could pivot to a new paradigm shift for our clients and prospects. But first, I needed to touch base with my finance team to make sure our presentations and proposals had all the right ROI, and KPI value-added metrics. That they were granular enough to make sure our bottom-line recommendations were solid and scalable to get buy-in from our target audiences. Not to mention figuring out a way to monetize those recommendations moving forward.
During
In my presentations, I’d elaborate on those objectives, then talk about raising the bar, about the need to breakthrough SILOs, and how my company would take a 30,000-foot view, then conduct a collaborative, and data-driven deep dive. Drill down to study all the analytics, and circle back to close-the-loop, making sure everything was synergized and homogenized. Emphasize that we were all on the same page. Then, make sure we had the right bandwidth to address all the hurdles we might be facing. In other words, do some agile, 360-degree thinking. Color outside the lines
I’d share how we’d take an innovative, forward-thinking, best practices approach, and let the prospect know that we were right-sized for them, and were team players. That we’d do all the heavy lifting to get their unified message across with the right persona and influencer qualities, all of it to be driven by a disruptive, yet seamless approach. As change agents, we will employ cutting edge, optimized blue-sky thinking that will move the needle, to make their messages go viral, and those messages will be aligned, and synergistic with the customer journey. I’d also mention, how my company will conduct our due diligence, making sure we stressed our relative core competencies, and how we’ll manage expectations. To make sure all the optics were right with their clients, prospects and their corporate culture. It will be a real win-win situation. A game changer. And if there were any questions after the presentation, we could take it offline.
After
Once we were awarded the business, I’d explain how the need to make sure everyone on the client’s team and our team was always on the same page, simpatico and kept in the loop. How we’d be a valued and trusted partner. And, in order to push the envelope, how we’d leverage our experience, and conduct ideation sessions to address any elephants in the room, and we’d open our kimonos to explain the dynamics of our integrated, results-oriented, state-of-the-art solutions so we can hit the ground running. To make it impactful, we’d contact prospects in the pipeline funnel, by going after the low-hanging-fruit in a proactive manner designed to address their pain points. And our team environment would make certain everyone was empowered to help fast track the program while keeping our collective value-proposition messages on point. I’d stress that type of environment is important because, you don’t know what you don’t know.
Finally, I’d talk about next steps, and tell them if they required any additional information they can always feel free to reach out and ping me.
Reality check
I’ve been around a while, and probably like you, have heard and continue to hear a ton of buzzwords, clichés and catchword phrases in meetings, presentations and proposals. Thought it would be interesting to see how many I could cram into an article that was somewhat realistic and humorous, but also reflected how those buzzwords, clichés and phrases probably sound to clients and prospects. (By the way, there were over 8o of them in this story.
Can I be honest with you? (There’s one.) At the end of the day, (There’s another one.) I’m pretty sure we’re all guilty of using buzzwords and clichés to some extent (including moi). But, it’s your choice. You can be viewed as an original thinker. Or someone who speaks and writes in “Buzzwords, and Clichés wrapped in Banality.”
My advice? Stop using them, or you’ll become a cliché.
I showed you mine. Want to show me yours? Got any buzzwords, phrases or clichés you’d like to share?
What about Bob?
Communicate. Persuade. Succeed. I’ve created business development tools and communication approaches designed to help people and companies establish Credibility, build Trust, deliver Value and improve Revenue. Try to have a little fun in the process to keep things in perspective and reinforce learning. I’m pretty easy to reach. Pretty easy to talk with too. (Although my wife might disagree with that last part.)
[email protected] +1.610.212.3195 (Mobile)
#businessdevelopment#sales and marketing#salesenablement#sales#customerexperience#softskills#softskillshardreturns#revenue
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The day I fully appreciated the value of storytelling.
Sometimes storytelling can work too well.
My wife and I have been friends with some other couples for several years, many several of years. The majority of us have known each other since high school and even before high school in some cases. We all now live within driving distance and will occasionally get together at our houses. Typically, we all start out interacting with each other, but eventually, the guys will drift away and end up talking among ourselves, solving the problems of the world; while our wives gravitate into the very tightly-knit, orbital pull of their cabal.
This one weekend three couples met at my house.
In the guy’s group, the subject of prior jobs came up. All of my friends have interesting and successful backgrounds. One had several senior sales positions with global companies. One was a psychologist and the other was a Wharton MBA, with an engineering degree. Now, these were some pretty analytical and savvy guys with a diverse depth of experience. Guys who could not be easily persuaded about a lot of things. Anyway, they took turns talking about jobs they had before, where they’d worked, their experiences and where they’ve lived over the years.
Then it was my turn.
To set the stage for what follows; I like think of myself as being sardonically witty, combined with a captivating, blended dry sense of humor. My friends, however, refer to me as a “smart-ass.” After those many several of years, they’ve been exposed to my personality and know me well. Make that very well.
All of which makes what happened next, all the more unbelievable.
I told my friends about how years ago, I had worked in the aerospace division of a Fortune Five company (which was true). My friends were not aware of that part of my background and wanted to know more about it. So, I told them a few things. Like the extensive background check I had to undergo in order to get a secret security clearance (true). And how your photo ID, with the color-coded security-level indicator, had better match what you looked like or the guard wouldn’t let you into the building (also true). I told them about the massive amounts of paperwork you had to sign and the pledge you took not to discuss anything about what went on in the facility for a fixed period of time following your employment with the company (again, true.)
I explained how, at the time, the “space race” was very much alive (which, it was). Every time any type of launch would occur, people would stop whatever they were doing to watch the event on TV. And it wasn’t just at the facility where I worked, but people also interrupted their daily lives to watch wherever they were at the time. The space frontier was a big deal then.
As I talked, I noticed my friends were actually looking at me differently.
I was no longer the “smart-ass” Bob. But, a different Bob. With a background they never knew about. One which unexpectedly aroused their curiosity.
They accepted the fact I couldn’t tell them everything I’d worked on back then, and they understood. But, I did tell them about the really bright and interesting people with whom I worked (true). Some came from different countries (also true.) And some had phobias, which included a fear of germs (mysophobia). In fact, one doctor in particular would not shake your hand and in order to avoid contact, would frequently sequester himself in his office to work (double true). I went on to explain about an annual event, which I was privileged to attend. Now, it was at this point that “smart-ass Bob” started to emerge. He saw an opening to slightly veer away from the truth and he couldn’t resist the urge to seize the opportunity.)
But, it looked like they were interested, so how could I not give them what they wanted? Besides, they knew me and I was sure my slight deviation from the truth would soon become apparent.
The annual event I described, consisted of participants from different countries which had collaborated with the company where I had worked, to discuss their various space initiatives. I told my friends, how after attending their individual workshop sessions, the participants would then gather in informal groups to talk about some of the phases of various programs they had under evaluation. By this time, my friends were beyond intrigued. (Even though they knew me to be “smart-ass Bob,” they were still hooked.)
Naturally, I didn’t want to disappoint them.
So, I went on to explain how the participant from one country was anticipating a moon mission similar to the US Apollo 11 program. Another participant talked about travel to Mars, and one participant talked about potential interstellar travel and wormholes.
Then, I was silent.
My friends were now looking at me, as if I was about to tell them something no one had ever heard of before.
And they were right.
I continued on with my narrative, recounting how one of the participants said his country was interested in exploring the possibility of a probe mission to the sun. To keep things in perspective, the group of scientists argued how, with the core of the sun reaching 15 million degrees Celsius, and even with the latest heat-shield advances being made; in all likelihood, the probe would be incinerated long before it got to within 500 miles of the sun’s surface.
Still my friends listened.
I explained how the scientist was not discouraged by his colleague’s criticism. And he told them how his team was planning to avoid the inevitable incendiary destruction that was sure to follow such an attempt.
He said, it wouldn’t happen because...
"We're going at nighttime."
Once I delivered those four words, my friends at first just looked at me and for a split second I felt badly for having mildly deceived them (OK ... it was more than mildly). They couldn’t believe I’d suckered them for 10 minutes with what eventually devolved into a joke. Hey, it was an old joke and it wasn’t my fault they hadn’t heard it before. As a result, the next 10 minutes were filled with very colorful language, the majority of which questioned my lineage.
They are still my friends. But, I definitely have a harder time trying to convince them of anything now.
Look, by no means am I a storytelling expert.
I have friends, connections and former coworkers who are in that category and if I listed them, the list would be long. And if they happen to read this post, I’m sure they’ll add to my points below (or like my friends, disavow knowing me).
Here’s what I learned that day about storytelling.
1. It can be very powerful. I always knew it was. It’s why people go to the movies and read novels. But, the space exploration story I told my friends really drove that point home for me.
2. You really need to know your audience. The better you know and are able to relate to your audience, the more you’ll be able to create an atmosphere of believability. I knew my friends and they knew me very well. Yet still, they believed me when, by their own experience, they knew me to be ... well ... me.
3. Your story needs to be well crafted. Not totally unlike my “story,” it works best when the components are based on truth. At the very least, the underlying framework needs to be built upon facts, events and components, designed to reinforce the message you intend on delivering and with which your audience can relate.
4. Good stories are sprinkled with emotional “hooks.” And those hooks work together with the facts to keep the audience’s attention. Because, as self-improvement guru Dale Carnegie said,
“When dealing with people, remember you are not dealing with creatures of logic, but creatures of emotion.”
5. You need to be convincing. Stories have been a way to relay lessons learned for many thousands of years. In my opinion, good stories (and jokes) are like good presentations. They need to be entertaining, rehearsed and convincingly delivered like a performance. A performance based upon your levels of comfort, personality and style. It can be energetic or soft-spoken. In-your-face or professorial. Humorous or serious. That’s the good part; it’s whatever works for you and your audience.
6. But don’t take my word for it. Cave men did storytelling pictures on caves. Advertisers have been doing it for years to help sell products. Guys like Walt Disney had a pretty good handle on storytelling too. Seemed to work well for him. And Shane Snow wrote a good article about it a few years back on HubSpot. You can click here to learn more ... a lot more. He has some pretty interesting links in the article.
The short version of all this is that storytelling is an art form. When mastered it can provide you with a powerful tool.
Just make sure to use it wisely.
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Just two guys talking about sales fundamentals. Sharing some laughs and tips.
That's what my recent “Coffee With Joe” interview felt like. Joe Asumendi and I pretty much forgot we were being taped. Did some freestyle talking about things that have a positive impact on revenue like:
• Entertaining & informative communication
• Four sales pillars to communicate Credibility, Trust & Value
• ROI value of being a trusted advisor
• It’s not selling. It’s convincing.
• Micro messaging subtleties & impact on acceptance
• Nine words you don't want to hear from a client
• Three rarely used words in a sales environment
• Maintaining TOMA (mind share) with clients & prospects
• Overlooked, high quality, lead-generation approaches
• “Hooks” to capture & keep transient attention spans
• Benefits of F2F client review meetings
• Unique door-opening techniques … and more.
A lot more. We were having such a good time, the producer kept signaling for us to take a break. And before we knew it, the session was over. Afterwards, we both agreed the show could easily have been an hour. As you can tell by the photo below, I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Joe.
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Credibility. Trust. Value. Those were three discussion points I mentioned when recently a guest on CEO Chat. The RVN TV show hosted by Al Cini and Joe Asumendi, two people who know a thing or two about business development and sales.
We talked about how, when those three things are consistently communicated well and over time, with clients, prospects and employees, it will have a positive impact on a company's bottom line. As well as an individual's success. Because they affect things associated with deliverables like: awareness, branding, collaboration, presentations, proposals, lead generation, follow up, customer experience, CRM and more.
So no matter what your title, position or tenure what you say, how you say it and when you say it will determine how readily your ideas and recommendations are accepted, and implemented with positive outcomes.
We also touched on Soft Skills and the importance they play in someone's career success especially as it relates to communicating credibility, trust and value. My time with Al and Joe was enjoyable, informative and entertaining. (Unfortunately, the podcast link is no longer available.)
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Hot, “new” skills topic is 100-years old.
By now many of us have heard about the importance of soft skills or interpersonal skills such as communication, collaboration, critical thinking, leadership and innovation. In 2018 LinkedIn did an extensive skills study in 100 major US cities and found those skills to be lacking. But the topic of soft skills is not new. They were first unearthed in a Carnegie Foundation study in 1918.
So, hot they are … “new” they're not.
Subsequent studies done in recent years by organizations such as Harvard, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Hay Group/Korn Ferry, Bloomberg, Wonderlik, McDonalds, and others, have acknowledged the impact soft skills have on both personal achievement and corporate revenue no matter what your position, title, tenure or business.
Those studies have indicated soft-skills mastery can determine up to 85% of your career achievement. How 40% of employers are struggling to find people who have them to fill jobs. How managers who have them can increase their team's performance by up to 30%. How businesses point accusatory fingers at colleges for not teaching soft skills. How colleges point those fingers back at businesses because they don’t collaborate to address the lack of them.
“The soft skills are the hard skills.”
Amy Edmondson, Novartis Professor of Leadership
and Management, Harvard Business School
In essence, “SOFT” has become the new “STEM”, and invaluable on many levels, in many organizations. But where can someone in college go to learn more about soft skills if no courses are offered in their current environment? What if they are a recent graduate, new to the workforce? Or maybe someone with experience, and in a management position? Maybe even you?
You have some options. You can sit down in front of your computer, and conduct your own mind numbing internet search to find soft-skills-relevant situations most commonly encountered in the workplace, and then summarize each one with key takeaway tips that will act as a reference guide. Just make sure your chair is comfortable because you'll be there for a while.
There is also an abundance of soft-skills courses available online with costs that range from “free” to hundreds of dollars per topic/situation. This approach will also take a fair amount of time (and money, yours). If you're employed, your company may (or may not) provide you with training internally, or through workshops (which will cost them money).
Ideally, whatever option you decide upon should provide you with real-life strategies and insights based on practical examples, each depicting how soft skills can most effectively be applied in situations and dilemmas encountered during the course of a normal business day. Topics that deal with persuasive communications, understanding word usage that connote credibility, true value and why. ♦ How to get your ideas across and accepted, not just with clients and prospects, but with your colleagues as well. ♦ When to talk and when to listen. Mastering three rarely-used, revenue-generating words in business. ♦ Understanding the dynamics and impact of presentation physics, like when to stand up or sit down during a presentation.♦ The use of imagery, storytelling, and humor to attract and keep the constantly-shrinking attention span of an audience. ♦ Recognizing the similarities between presentations and proposals. Crafting both so they focus on a client’s needs, not yours, and are designed to improve acceptance rates, while avoiding “Buyer's Remorse.” ♦ Delivering meaningful client-review meetings with quantifiable-update metrics. ♦ Discovering an easy way to find leads. ♦ Learning how to play nice in the interdepartmental-collaborative sandbox. ♦ Knowing how and when to intelligently respond to a disgruntled client. ♦ Giving the right response to the nine most-feared words a client can ask. ♦ Understanding what it takes to work with a toxic boss and still keep your job and your clients (or knowing when it's time to leave.) ♦ It would also be helpful if each topic had insightful, “how to” takeaways with reinforcing-reference links.
While you may be able to find some of those things, more than likely, you won’t find them all in one place. A place that compiles disparate information on the subject of soft skills, and delivers it all in one point-and-click package, so people who are time bankrupt can quickly absorb, and benefit from real-world, life lessons learned. And with those takeaways and reference links. It'd also be a plus if you could get a little chuckle along the way. A little laughter to make what you learn more memorable.
Hopefully, you won't have to wait for another 100 years to find that place.
Bob Musial is principal at StreetSmart, a firm focused on improving business-development results. His book, “Soft Skills. Hard Returns,” is a collection of over 570 soft-skills tips and links now available on Amazon and Apple. He can be reached at [email protected].
#softskillshardreturns softskills businessdevelopment sales training HR smallbusiness entrepreneur#community colleges#customer experience#communication skills
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With these things you’ll succeed.
Without them ... Not so much.
Harvard has done studies on the subject. So, has LinkedIn, same thing with Pricewaterhouse Coopers, Hay Group/Korn Ferry, Bloomberg, Wonderlik, McDonalds, and others, including the guy writing this article.
Lately, there has also been a boatload of articles written about the subject. In the business arena, “they” are the next big thing. And if you have them your career will skyrocket. Employers are struggling to find people who have them to fill jobs. Managers who have them can increase their team's performance by up to 30%. Businesses blame colleges for not teaching them. Colleges blame businesses because they don’t collaborate to address the lack of them.
So, what’s the subject that has everyone talking?
Soft skills.
But, soft skills aren’t anything new. In fact, they were unearthed in a study done by the Carnegie Foundation in 1918. Yup. 1918. Do the math. And 50 years later the US Army also recognized their importance.
Looks like this hot-new topic isn't really all that new.
Hot, yes.
New, not so much.
In fact, soft skills have long been associated with interpersonal and sales skills like collaboration, communication, analyzation, problem resolution, leadership, adaptability, and innovation. Skills that impact most everyone no matter what their title, position or business, whether their organization is for profit or non-profit.
The hard truth about soft skills.
Truth is, it doesn’t matter if you're in sales, finance, customer service, engineering, HR, marketing, IT, clinical operations, the military, or athletics. It also doesn't matter what your title is. You can be a project manager, teacher, receptionist, college student, supervisor, intern, parent or a proctologist. In some way, shape or form, everyone communicates.
However, effective communicators with soft skills not only get their ideas across they get them adopted, and are able to influence decisions. In the workplace, that means knowing how to listen, write, speak, present, follow up, and play nice in the same sandbox with your colleagues. And do it in a tactful, persuasive manner.
Because as studies have shown, when you lack soft skills, you’ll be putting a choke hold on your career. But once you’ve mastered those soft skills ... you’ll be in demand ... and on the short list.
Here's why I'm telling you all this.
For years, colleagues have said to me…
“Bob, publish your collection of articles. Your bite-sized, humor-laced stories grounded in soft skills make the subject matter easy to digest, and memorable.”
Actually, they used much more colorful language. So, I finally took their suggestions, and put those articles in an ebook called,
“Soft Skills. Hard Returns.” Communicate. Persuade. Win.
Think of it as “CliffsNotes” is to War and Peace. But about soft skills. It takes complex material, and distills it into an easy-to-read ebook, with 570+ tips, and topic-relevant links. And it’s based on over 40 years of compressed business development, sales, marketing, advertising, and customer-service experience. Each topic is presented in a short-story format, sprinkled with humor, and includes a soft-skills checklist of key takeaway points at the end.
The chapters and topics are anchored on four, revenue-related categories with a business-development flow most businesses and non-profits have in common:
Awareness Things you need to do to attract and keep a client’s, prospect’s or colleague's attention. With topics like…
- Words that communicate value. When to use them. How to use them. Why to use them.
- Three rarely-used words that will improve your business.
- So, you want to be a thought leader? Proven methods on becoming one.
Presentations and Proposals Things to say, and do once you’re lucky enough to be invited to do either. Things like…
- When to sit down or stand up during a presentation, understanding why, and other tips on making your presentations, and proposals memorable (in a good way).
- How to write client-focused proposals that will substantially improve your win rate.
- Understanding “Buyer’s Remorse,” and making it work for you.
Account Management How to keep the revenue ball rolling once you have the business with tips on…
- Effective SILO-busting techniques rarely implemented.
- Understanding human capital, and its relationship to revenue.
- The impact of motorcycle Zen on business.
Revenue Protection and Expansion Important things to do to make sure you keep the business, and what it takes to…
- Know and effectively communicate what your stuff is really worth.
- Respond to the nine most-feared words a client can ask.
- How to deal with a toxic boss, keep your clients, and your job.
The above topics are just a few examples there are over 40 of them. And it’s not necessary to read each chapter or story in sequence. If you see a topic in the Table of Contents that looks interesting, just click on it and you’ll be provided with a quick solution. The topics are standalone, yet interrelated. Beginning. Middle. End. It doesn’t matter where you start.
What matters is that you start. Consider this. “Automation could destroy as many as 73 million U.S. jobs by 2030,” McKinsey Global Institute. The report highlights the necessity to adapt explaining the evolution of occupations alongside of machines, and how…
“Some of that adaptation will require higher educational attainment, or spending more time on activities that require social and emotional skills, creativity, high-level cognitive capabilities, and other skills relatively hard to automate.”
Sounds like soft skills to me.
Look, nobody can predict the future (with the possible exception of Madame Zelda who lives on the boardwalk near me). But your current advantage over a machine is your ability to develop soft skills that will keep you relevant, and employed in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
So, who would benefit most from the book?
College students? People new to the workforce? People who have been around awhile? Or maybe people in mid-level, and senior management positions? You, maybe?
Glad you asked.
Well, the answer to all those questions is … “D. All of the above.” Because the topics in the book depict communication, and situational dilemmas faced by most people on a daily basis.
I think the book was best summed up by someone other than moi. Someone with an objective view. Colleague and business strategist Paula Parker told me…
“Soft Skills. Hard Returns. Is an easy-to-read book that compiles disparate information on the subject of soft skills, and delivers it all in one place, and at one time so people who are time bankrupt can quickly absorb, and benefit from the lessons learned.”
One last point…
Here’s a way to help someone get ahead of the machines, and AI.
I’ve kept the ebook affordable, because I’m passionate about helping others, and wanted to offer tools that will help them advance her or his career, secure a job, keep it, excel at it, and have a little fun in the process.
So, if you think any of your contacts would like to learn more about, “Soft Skills. Hard Returns,” then please accept my thanks in advance for pointing them to Amazon here, and also to Apple, Barnes & Noble, and other platforms here.
Cheers.
Bob
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“True thought leadership...and what you need to do to get there.”
It seems like every day I read about more and more people who call themselves “thought leaders.” It’s like we’re being inundated by a thought leader tsunami.
So, to test my tsunami theory, I did a quick LinkedIn search on “thought leader” and found:
● 2,384 people with thought leader in their title and,
● 37, 639 thought leader job openings.
Then, I did a search on “thought leadership” and found:
● 578,302 people with those words in their titles and,
● 30,180 thought leadership job openings.
But, if you’re a true thought leader, wouldn’t other people bestow the title upon you, as opposed to being a self-proclaimed one? (I heard a version of that from Pete Weissman...more about Pete in a minute.)
As someone who helps business leaders refine and enhance business development and revenue generation, I certainly appreciate the implied value of thought leadership and its potential impact on revenue.
Clearly, social media has provided a branding launch pad for a lot of people to package their content in a “how to” format in order to broadcast their expertise, and...well...to sell stuff.
And that’s OK. Its business and I get it.
But does plastering “how to” posts across social media, really make you a thought leader in the truest sense of the term?
Actually, Chris Kelly did an excellent parody on the subject. If you haven’t already seen it, click on “parody” above, it’s worth taking just a few minutes to watch.
So, my question is...
If you want to be a true thought leader, what do you need to do to get there?
Which brings me back to Pete Weissman.
Pete’s the Founder of Thought Leader Communications, and knows a few things about thought leaders and thought leadership. I’ve heard him speak before and what he had to say on the subject made sense to me. He helps executives of Fortune 500 companies become true thought leaders, and he worked in Washington, DC for over a decade. (As in the White House and Senate.)
I figured he’d be a pretty good guy to answer my question. To help me with my whole thought leader/thought leadership/vs. branding and “how to” conundrum, the first thing I asked Pete when we spoke was how he defined thought leader. Pete’s definition was...
“A Thought Leader is someone recognized by his or her peers, stakeholders and the media as an expert and visionary who is shaping the future.”
He went on to say, “For me, and the people I work with, the purpose of thought leadership is to drive a change. You absolutely must change your industry, your organization and your role in it in order to survive in business today. The thought leader sees what the future can be, articulates it well, and takes action steps that take other people along. Thought leaders drive a long-term shift in thinking and one that usually occurs on a large scale.”
Two of his phrases really resonated with me:
● “long-term shift occurring on a large scale” and,
● “visionary who is shaping the future.”
So, I asked Pete how he builds thought-leadership programs that achieve shifts of this magnitude. He gave me an overview of his method, which starts with “Three Pillars” as summarized below.
Pillar 1: The Big Idea.
Pete called this a “MoonShot Vision.” Something powerful and provocative. A visionary concept for the future about which you’re passionate and driven to rally other people toward. It’s the kind of thinking that challenges conventional wisdom and usually in a highly disruptive, yet controlled manner. It can be a small company targeting a large one on an issue, which can generate media exposure. Or, a larger company making the first move to get ahead of the curve (as noted in Pillar 2 below).
It’s a vision that will be recognized (and in some cases refuted) by peers, industry, stakeholders and media. Something validated by credible data.
Pillar 2: Walk-the-Talk Action.
Having a Big Idea, being passionate and talking about it is great. But, if you don’t do anything about it, if you don’t get others involved and establish a meaningful dialogue, they’re just words. And they can be the rhetoric of failure (to quote The Police). Being a thought leader means making a down payment, some type of financial or partnering investment in your vision. Otherwise, you’re just someone who pontificates.
One of Pete’s favorite action steps is something he calls a Savvy Sacrifice, like CVS demonstrated when it gave up over $2 billion in annual sales when it stopped selling cigarettes in its 7,600 stores. By doing so, it gained a national reputation as a committed public health advocate and trusted partner with healthcare organizations. That was key to CVS’s future growth plans.
Pillar 3: Rollout Plan.
You’ve got the idea and the action. Now it’s time to share them with the world. Pete uses a stair-step approach in this phase. In all likelihood, in the beginning, you won’t get invited to be a keynote speaker on your Big Idea topic in front of an auditorium filled with pivotal influentials. Nope, that takes time. But, there are steps you can take over time to open larger doors, with access to bigger venues to share your vision. Pete calls this cumulative rollout plan a “Progression of Credibility.”
That credibility and trust aspect is explained more in the 2018 Edelman Trust Barometer, which in this video reports trust of government, media and businesses, is at all-time lows in 22 out of 28 countries, as is CEO leadership credibility. So, it’s imperative that whoever leads the Big Idea actions in your company has the right persona to deliver it in a credible, engaging and convincing manner. And consistent, strategic content marketing plays a small part in the long-term credibility and trust-building process.
OK, so far so good. All that made sense to me.
But, I also wanted to know what were some of the qualities and traits of people who are true thought leaders in their industries.
Pete said there are basically four, and included some examples:
One. They don’t sell products or services. They sell their vision of the future and how it will be different. Like Bill Gates and Paul Allen. Their founding mission at Microsoft was of a world with “a computer on every desk and in every home.” They didn’t even sell computers; they sold software. Steve Jobs saw the computer as a bicycle for the mind. They had products and sold products, but their thought-leadership platform and business, were built around their visualization of how the future will be different.
Two. They are more interested in seeking change then winning cheers. They may have egos, but they want to do something more than just see their name in lights and getting PR. Their tone is different. It’s universal in nature. They’re not afraid to say we’re all part of whatever the problem may be, and we all need to work together in order to make change happen. That was the thinking Elon Musk exhibited when Tesla opened sourced their battery technology patents, making it available to anyone, including competitors, in order to accelerate the movement toward battery-operated vehicles. It was, and continues to be, a win-win-win.
Three. They are driven by a passionate and personal mission. Even if they didn’t have their current job, they would be doing something to advance their idea. Al Gore takes a lot of knocks, and like him or not, he’s recognized for his climate-change platform, brought to life in the 2006 documentary, An Inconvenient Truth. But Gore wrote Earth in Balance, more than a dozen years before that, which exemplifies the long-term and far-reaching aspects of thought leadership. (By the way, Pete once pulled an all-nighter at Al Gore’s house helping him with a major address...but that’s another story.)
Four. They build a movement that engages others. Ironically, a thought leader’s power is really quite limited. Their true power lies in their power to persuade others. They’re constantly asking, “Whom else will need to be involved? How can I rally people together for a larger mission?” True thought leaders reach out to competitors and critics to inculcate, and then defend their Big Idea. Because they know their ability to drive change is really a function of how well they can get other people to see, and embrace the value of their idea.
So, here’s my takeaway on true thought leadership.
If you want to help people by providing content, and by branding yourself and your company in the process, then keep doing it.
But, if you want to make the kind of tectonic shifts in the plates of the business world, then brace yourself. Because the pathway to true thought leadership is not for the faint-of-heart, and you’ll be in it for the long haul.
Along the way, your vision will become your brand, your identity and your reward.
Getting in Touch with Pete.
If you’d like to learn more about Pete and his approach to thought leadership, I’m sure he’d be happy to speak with you. Feel free to call him at 202.333.7383 (mobile). Or shoot him an email: [email protected].
What about Bob?
You know when you run into a sales person who talks, but doesn’t listen? Does bad, really bad, self-serving presentations that focus on their company’s value, and not your needs? Never follows-up with you on time and basically is just annoying? Well, I help business leaders refine and enhance business development and revenue generation, by addressing those issues and try to have a little fun in the process. I’m pretty easy to reach. Pretty easy to talk with too. (Although my wife might disagree with that last part.)
[email protected] +1.610.212.3195 (mobile)
#thoughtleader#thoughtleadership#businessdevelopment#visionary#changemanagement#influencer#influential#media#gamechanger
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"Do you know what your stuff is really worth?"
“I think that's pretty expensive."
That's not always the best way to start a meeting.
The VP of Marketing and I had just finished going over the new label design and cost estimate for the premier paint brand his company was planning on introducing. It was going to be a premium product with durability, wash-ability, spread-ability and a lot of other “abilities”...or so he said. Apparently, affordability was not one of them (more on that later)
Now, this was no small operation. The company was a well-established, regional paint manufacturer, with multiple stores in the tri-state area. Between their retail and commercial businesses, they sold gallons of paint every week. Make that many gallons of paint.
In short, according the VP of Marketing, this new paint line was to be the second coming and transcendence of all things paint. It would help elevate their brand and they anticipated a high sales volume.
So meanwhile, back at the ad agency.
I’d explained all that to the designer at the agency where I’d worked at the time. And in order to get the feel, look and image for the brand just right, she and I had discussed in excruciating detail, all the brand-building background information like: target audience, personas, likes/dislikes, buying patterns, demographics, psychographics and all the “stuff” that goes into a branding exercise or pretty much, any creative directional meeting. We’d spent hours doing competitive analysis, going over tons of different design layouts, along with taglines to best reflect the new premium product paint line. And, like most complicated things which end up looking simple when finally completed, it took a lot of time
But, it was worth it and the VP thought it was perfect. Perfect that was, until I told him how much the new branding design was going to cost.
That’s when he said, “I think that’s pretty expensive.”
Looks like he didn’t fully comprehend what went into the process and the value of what he was now nervous about. And, that was my fault. It would have been a good idea if I’d given him a broad price range for the project to prepare him. However, I’d made the mistake of assuming he’d understood because...well because he was the VP of Marketing and marketing people usually had a handle on what goes into the creative developmental process. Not to mention, he seemed oblivious to the fact that his company would more than make up the cost of the design in a few days of paint sales. Looks like I should’ve gone over all that ROI stuff with the VP of Marketing too.
But, rather than my giving what could have been perceived as a defensive dissertation on the basics of sound marketing, branding, design theory and the fundamental principles of ROI; I dug deep into my marketing and sales bag of witty responses to let him know as simply as possible, in terms to which he could quickly relate, everything that went into the elegant brand design at which he was looking.
So, I replied...
“I think what you’re going to charge for a gallon of this paint is pretty expensive too. But, I don’t know what went into it.”
He looked at me briefly, and I could see the wheels turning inside his head. He then turned his head away after those wheels stopped turning and signed-off on the cost estimate.
So what’s your point Bob?
Glad you asked. When I was a teenager, I worked in a garage after school to earn money. Learned a lot of interesting things about cars, motorcycles and life in that garage too. The owner was an ex-Marine. He was a big guy and very intelligent. Anyway, he had an old, faded sign above the area where he wrote customer bills.
It read...
Here are 7 steps to help make price a non-issue.
Never assume...your audience knows or understands what you’re talking about. Even if it’s their job. You need to confirm and understand their expectations relative to what you’re providing. And like I mentioned previously, sometimes it’s a good idea to provide cost ranges so they know what to expect beforehand. Yes, I know the “never assume” thing has been around for a thousand years. Jill Konrath has a few interesting examples here.
Anticipate and overcome objections. Come up with at least five objections your client could make and have good, solid responses prepared in advance. But, don’t just spit them out. Take a second before replying to an objection in order to provide a foundation of credibility to your answer, and establishing credibility is pivotal in building trust. Here’s an excellent article on the subject written by Pouyan Salehi, the founder of PersistIQ.
If you haven’t already done it. Do a mini-SWOT analysis of the client’s/prospect’s environment to gain insights as to how your product or service will translate to potential ROI opportunities for them. This article, by Florian Kahlert COO of Cubeyou Inc., is about establishing credibility, primarily in “pitches”, but in my opinion, the same type of preparation is necessary when presenting prices and costs to a client or prospect.
Speak your client’s language. Make sure your responses are given in client-relatable terms. Purchasing people, for instance, speak a different language than Marketing people. In my case, it was my somewhat sarcastic and self-deprecating comment regarding my admitted ignorance as to the value of the Marketing VP’s product. This approach can be a little risky and you have to know how to read people. Fortunately for me, it had the desired effect because it was based on truth, which added to my credibility and the value of what was being offered. (I’d written about it previously here, in points #4 and #5 in this article.) Which means I had to and you will have to...
Know what your stuff is worth. As in my example, a lot went into coming up with a branding design and a tagline. The challenge was to translate that into terms to which the client could relate. You can also refer to case studies which reflect the value your company has provided to other clients in similar situations. Trevor Hubbard, Founder and Creative Director of Butchershop, provides some perspective on the subject of pricing.
Know what your client’s stuff is worth. As noted in point #3 above, what your client/prospect produces and sells cost money. You should have a good understanding of what goes into the process before you can do #5 above effectively.
Most importantly. Just don’t immediately (if at all) provide discounts or you’ll always be doing it. Mark Hunter’s been around a while. Here’s what he thinks about discounts. Know what your stuff is worth to your clients and prospects. When you have a handle on all that earlier, it makes presenting cost/price less of a hurdle later. It’ll probably still be a hurdle. Just not as high. This is where establishing credibility, building trust and providing quantified value over time comes in.
If you’re reading this article, I’m guessing you’ve encountered objections to price at some point. So, what do you think is the best way to address it?
What about Bob?
You know when you run into a sales person who talks, but doesn’t listen? Does bad, really bad, self-serving presentations? Never follows-up with you on time and basically is just annoying? Well, I help people (and companies), not to be like that and try to have a little fun in the process. I’m pretty easy to reach. Pretty easy to talk with too.
[email protected] +1.610.212.3195 (Mobile)
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"This proposal looks good, right Bob?"
But that wasn’t the first thing the EVP of Marketing asked me. Before that she’d said...
“Tell me what you think about this presentation Bob.”
I had just started a consulting project a few hours earlier, when the animated EVP asked me to look at a presentation she was going to be giving later in the week. So, I took a look at her first slide which was filled with self-absorbing, company-centric, it’s all about me information. Then, I looked at her second slide. Her third slide. Her fourth slide. All the way up to her 34th slide which were just more of the same. I immediately had a flashback to a similar and equally awkward situation I found myself in my distant past.
Not surprisingly, the presentation slides were a precursor to a proposal which I also had an opportunity to review sometime later. That’s when the, “This proposal is pretty good, right Bob?” question got asked.
For the life of me, I have a difficult time understanding why people just don’t realize, that a client or prospect doesn’t really care about your first 15 slides in a presentation, or your first 10 pages in a proposal that talk about how great you are.
OK, get ready. Here it comes...your client or prospect only cares about what’s important to them, not you. They could care less about how and when your company was founded, how many awards you’ve accumulated, or what color socks your CEO wears in meetings
Sure, all that stuff is important to establish your credentials and credibility. (Well, maybe not so much the color of the CEO’s socks.) But, there is other, more customer-centric and subtle ways to convey that information. And if you can weave them into a story that relates to a problem the client or prospect has, it can be a strong way to enhance your credibility.
But Bob, it’s not always possible to do those things.
Of course it’s not. And in some businesses, it’s not only inappropriate; you can be penalized or even excluded from the vetting process, for not adhering to protocol. Templated Requests for Information and Proposal formats also usually don’t leave much room for self-expression, storytelling or deviation.
But, in my experience, the majority of B2B clients and prospects are flexible about what you’re proposing, and you can pretty much bet they’d appreciate being educated, informed and yes, even entertained to some extent, with a well-thought-out and easy-to-read proposal. Especially if what you’re telling them helps to solve a problem that’s keeping them up at night. Think about it. How many times have you had to read through page, after page of extremely detailed, pretentious, me-too, aren’t we wonderful, here’s what we will do for you, pseudo-knowledge droppings types of proposals?
To that point, as illustrated by my illustrator, cartoonist friend Bot Roda...
Proposals are like presentations. They need to be engaging.
But, unlike a presentation, you won’t be there to tell your story. To make eye contact. To see how your audience (the reader) is reacting to the delivery of your words and your proposal.
So it becomes even more important to make the proposal memorable, in a good way. Assuming, of course, you can actually address the problems your reader is facing and provide quantifiable value while doing it.
So, here are a few tips.
1. Think of your proposal as a magazine or online article. Make it readable and informative, with attention-getting “teaser” headings and subheadings to entice the reader. Make it something your audience not only believes, but something they want to read and, importantly, share with their colleagues.
2. Use an “opener.” Think of an appropriate way to attract and keep the reader’s attention. Then deliver it in a way that will let them know you understand their problem, while also implying you know how to help them to achieve their objectives and whatever issues they may be facing. I place the opener immediately after the cover page and use it to set the tone for what follows. For example, I’ve used the opener below on more than one occasion to call attention to a company’s disorganization issues.
Airline pilot to passengers.
“I’ve got good news and bad news.
The bad news is we’re hopelessly lost.
The good news is we’re making great time.”
Yes, it is humorous, but it acts to diffuse a serious situation, while simultaneously drawing attention to it. Before deciding to use this particular opener, I had to have an understanding of the environment, the people involved, their personalities, company culture, competitive landscape and the problems they were facing.
3. Thank you note. I like to put a brief, personal note right after the “opener” to reinforce the message of the opener and how the proposal will address the prospect’s issues. I also use it to express my appreciation for the opportunity to submit a proposal and I sign it (either an original signature or and inserted JPEG signature). Does my signing it make a difference? To me it does for two reasons. First, it means it was the last thing I did after having reviewed the entire document to make certain all the points were addressed. Second, by my signing it, it makes it personal and reflects my commitment to the prospect or client. I’m sure there is research somewhere regarding the best color ink to use when signing a document for memorability. I use blue.
4. Put the good stuff upfront. Look, nobody has time (or really wants) to read through 47 pages of detailed information about how you’re going to solve their problems. And while that’s definitely important, you need to condense how it’s all going to work in an Executive Summary. Simplifying complex issues is no easy task. But, it’s definitely beneficial for the reader (and you too) when you can do it and do it well.
5. Include the price. Don’t make your reader flip through the proposal looking for the cost. Give it to them in #4 above and definitely do it while keeping #6 in mind.
6. Quantify the value. This is the most important part of #5. Quantify the cost in terms of the value benefit your proposal will be delivering. Anything can be quantified, whether its carbon footprint reduction, improved productivity, reduction of particulate matter, the instances of rapid eye movement in dream states in dogs...anything. Just make sure you present it in terms related to their problem. Will what you’re proposing help reduce costs? Then give them the projected value of those costs savings over time and compare it to what they’re doing now. Or compare it to competitive offerings. Or, show them the cost savings on a piece-by-piece or a per person basis. Whatever best demonstrates the true value based on their objectives.
Ideally, you could create algorithms for your value offering and convert it into an Excel document so your prospect can enter their specific information to see various calculated outcomes for things such as ROI, Lifetime Value or Lost Opportunity Costs. I created an “Evaluator” that provides a roadmap so prospects can see how well they perform in four key business development areas most businesses have in common. You can click here and I’ll send it to you along with an overview on how it works.
7. Use visuals. It can be a quote, a graph, cartoon, ink to a video, or a text box. Anything that will reinforce your value message throughout the important sections of the proposal at a glance as they review it.
8. Speaking of quotes. Consider including one from the project manager or team members who will be overseeing the project or program. It can be about their expertise on the subject and experience and how they, and your company, helped other clients facing the same or similar issues. It’ll not only provide an introduction to the person/team, it will also provide a human connection and reinforce credibility. We humans are visual beasts, so if appropriate, include a picture or video of the person, or the team to put a face with the name.
9. Other stuff. If your proposal will have a fair amount of pages, include a Table of Contents. And if you do include one, make the line items interesting, not just a boring listing about the section and a page number. For instance, if you’re identifying the pages which describe the implementation of the program or project, try something like this...
“This is where it all comes together”...............................pages 8 through 10
You can also do the same thing for #8 above.
“Meet the team who will make it happen”........................pages 11 through 12
10. Links to reference material. Provide links to relevant articles to reinforce your recommendations. Kinda like I’m doing here with some good articles and tips on proposals by people like Dan Steiner in his article, and of course, Ian Altman’s time to get a grip article.
11. Addendum. If you’re required (or compelled) to include all your services, company history, and things like case studies, White Papers, related research, detailed employee profiles and other relevant materials, the addendum is a good place for them.
12. Proofread the damn thing. A lot of times, people will use a proposal template where you can just fill-in-the-blanks to save time. Time saving? Yes. Smart? Yes again. But, it could be disastrous. I’ve read proposals which had the previous prospect’s or client’s name in the document. Nothing says, “I’m too busy to really look at what I’m sending you,” than a boilerplate document which has not been proofread. Take the time to make sure it’s done. Ideally, by someone other than you because you’re too familiar with it and will overlook things. (Using a professional proofreader is best so long as your “style” is understood and not compromised.) If your proposal is not proofread thoroughly and the reader finds typos and errors like the one I described earlier, you can count on one thing. Not getting invited to submit another proposal any time soon...if ever.
13. But it doesn’t stop there. There’s always the delicate situation of following up. Ideally, you will be notified you’re been awarded the project. However, waiting can be nerve-wracking. So, when and how you follow-up is key. You want to make sure the prospect knows you’re anxious to get started. But don’t want to annoy them in the process.
One way that works, according to Noah J. Goldstein, Robert B. Cialdini and Steven J. Martin, authors of “Yes! 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be More Persuasive,”
Sending a funny, inoffensive cartoon to someone during negotiations can generate higher levels of trust and lead to 15 percent larger profits
There’s also neuroscience behind the reasons as to why it works. Does it work in every situation? Nope. What you do really all depends on the relationship you’ve developed. You just need to do what makes you and your client feel comfortable.
14. And when you do get the business. If you don’t continue to keep in touch by providing your client with monthly updates with progress reports linked to the quantified value you said you’d be providing, then you’re leaving money on the table. Monthly summaries will keep you on your toes and provide the foundation for regular client review meetings. It’s also a good time to begin thinking about asking for referrals. Marla Tabaka has some good information about referrals in this article.
Got any proposal tips you’d like to share?
This would be a good place to do it.
What about Bob?
You know when you run into a sales person who talks, but doesn’t listen? Does bad, really bad, self-serving presentations? Never follows-up with you on time and basically is just annoying? Well, I help people not to be like that and try to have a little fun in the process. I’m pretty easy to reach. Pretty easy to talk with too. [email protected]. +1.610.212.3195 (Mobile)
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“How smart are you?”
I was going through the interview process at an ad agency. My goal was to leverage all the successful sales and business development skills I’d acquired, while working at a Fortune 50 company selling software, and combine those skills with the creative culture that an ad agency offered.
Why?
Because I’ve always had a creative and a business side. Basically, I considered myself a business development hybrid, and advertising seemed like the best avenue to combine the whole “left brain/right brain” thing.
Turns out, I was right.
But, back to the interview. Because of the economy at the time, the interview process dragged on for months. And months. Plus, the ad agencies I’d met with were a tad skeptical about hiring someone without an advertising background. For some reason, they overlooked the sales and business development experience part, which definitely would help with revenue generation. Go figure.
Anyway, during what turned out to eventually be my final interview, the owner of the company with whom I’d met previously, was wrapping things up. When he suddenly stopped. Paused for a few seconds, stared at me, and then asked me...
“How smart are you?”
I resisted my first instinct which was to blurt out, “Well, I must be an idiot to keep coming back and forth all this time. Especially if you and your other bone head ad colleagues don’t recognize the business development potential value I could contribute.”
But, I didn’t think that answer would be the one to get me hired. So, then I thought, well that’s a bizarre question to ask someone. I imagined he learned about the “ask the interviewee a bizarre question” technique, from some management-tip-of-the-week newsletter, and thought he’d try it out on me.
So, after thinking about all that, I replied...
“I’m smart enough to know, I’m not as smart as I think I am.”
He looked at me. Was quiet for a while. Then, smiled, and laughed. I got hired soon afterwards and stayed there for several years. And we both profited and learned a lot from each other.
Maybe it wasn’t such a bad question to ask after all.
So, let me ask you...how smart are you?
But, before you answer the question, here are a few things I think are worth keeping in mind on your path to professional intellectual enlightenment. And they’re not just to improve your business development and sales IQ. Come to think of it, actually they are.
1. Learn from everyone. There’s always going to be someone ahead of you. And someone behind you. You can learn from both.
2. Surround yourself with people smarter than you. Nobody has all the answers. Especially if you’re a manager. It’s OK to ask your colleagues and subordinates for their input to issues that come up. Actually, it’s brilliant. It will set you apart as a leader, encourages growth and respect in others, as well as yourself. Marty Zwilling has a good article about it.
3. Be thankful for bad bosses. There’s been a lot written about the negative impact of a bad boss. Travis Bradberry had a good post about the qualities of a bad boss. But, if you’re smart, you can learn a lot from them too. In fact, many of the business development and sales tips I share are a direct result of my exposure to bad bosses I’ve had over the years. Sometimes knowing what not to do can be more important than knowing what to do. (Of course you can also learn from good bosses and good clients.)
4. Channel your inner child. Picasso said, “It takes a long time to become young.” You can learn a lot from kids. They have no filters and see things as they are. Not how everyone thinks they should be. But, that point is made much better by Adora Svitak in her TED talk. Click here and learn from her. (Oh yeah, she was 12 at the time.)
5. Listen first, speak later. He who talks first loses. I learned that as a young sales rep years ago (actually, at the Fortune 50 company I’d mentioned earlier). Let someone drain their brain first, so you can fill it up with what you’ve learned from listening. I’ve also found that when you strategically limit what you say, and listen more, people have a tendency to think you’re smart. Maybe they’re right. You can click here for a quick example.
6. Be a mentor or an advisor. If you’ve learned something along the way that can help a co-worker, a client, a prospect or someone who has expressed an interest in a field in which you have experience, take time to share your knowledge. Besides being a nice thing to do, business referrals can be an indirect outgrowth. And it’s a good idea for your company to have some type of a mentoring program. But only if they want to keep talented people. Check out this article from Harvard Business Review about the benefits.
7. Keep your sense of humor. If you don’t already, learn to appreciate the value of humor and laughter. It can be a great ice breaker, make messages more memorable, and it has also been proven to be beneficial to your health as Terry Whitaker explains in this post.
In the off chance you’d like to take a quick IQ test to see how smart you are here’s your chance.
If you would like to see how StreetSmart helps people to improve their sales IQ, checkout our website.
What about Bob?
Bob Musial is a business development and sales coach, confidant and humorist. He likes to work with professionals to help improve their competency in all the associated sub-categories and have a little fun in the process. He’s pretty each to reach. Pretty easy to talk with too. Bob Musial – 610.212.3195 (mobile). [email protected]
Photo credit - Dave Mosher, Flickr
#Business Development#customer experience#sales and marketing#entrepreneur#best advice#customer retention
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So, my new boss asked me to go to a presentation...
Presentations can open the door to business. Or slam it shut. Here’s how to do one, while avoiding the other.
It was my second day at work with a new company and the owner asked me to come along with him to a presentation. It was a capabilities presentation with about 15 people, including the key decision maker. Knowing how difficult it can sometimes be to get in front of that many people, especially with a key decision maker, I was looking forward to the opportunity and to see my boss in action.
Amazingly, the meeting started pretty much on time, which I took as a good sign. After introductions, my boss began his presentation while seated at the conference table and immediately dove in with our company’s background information. After about 10 minutes of his reading word-for-word from each slide, the key decision maker interrupted, stating that they were pressed for time and asked if my boss could address some specific questions.
At that point, my boss told the decision maker that he’d get to those questions, but first he wanted to go through the rest of his slides.
There were 98 of them.
Guess what happened next? Shortly after being rebuked by my boss, the key decision maker excused herself and left. Not surprisingly, her staff also started to plan, and then execute their escape. In a matter of just a few minutes, there ended up being three or four people who just stayed for the free lunch we provided. And they were definitely not key decision makers.
Following the meeting, my new boss asked me how I thought it went. After an awkward silence, I mentioned that it would’ve been a good idea to address the key decision maker’s questions when they were asked. In return, for my sage advice, I received a stare as if I had two heads.
My boss did everything possible to sabotage the presentation and lost any chance of getting business from this prospect.
So, if you too would like to fail, make sure you make one, or more of the following blunders.
Don’t rehearse. By not rehearsing your presentation, you are virtually guaranteed to miss key presentation points and get confused when someone interrupts with a question.
Ignore presentation physics. Tons of research has been done that proves standing during a presentation in front of large groups is the most effective way to establish credibility, gain trust and to be viewed as a person of authority. Of course, if you are looking to fail, by all means, remain seated.
Have a ton of boring, self-centered slides.If you didn’t lose your audience with the first two points, a sure-fire path to failure is to have a ton of slides loaded with text (in a tiny font size and typos too). Then read from them word-for-word like my boss did. And definitely be sure to talk a lot about yourself upfront, and ignore the prospect’s needs. That always goes over big.
Be arrogant and condescending. Above all, dismiss closing clues and opportunities to address pivotal questions when they’re asked. Especially when they’re asked by the key decision maker. This will ensure your audience will disengage (and as in our case, leave) and you’ll never be invited back again.
Avoid doing any follow-up. With the four key steps to failure solidly behind you, you can also avoid sending any follow-up materials, like condensed and annotated PDFs of the slides. However, if you do send something, you could end your correspondence with the ever-popular “Call me if you have any questions.” That way the follow-up becomes your prospect’s responsibility, not yours.
By doing the above five things, you too can pretty much be guaranteed lost sales opportunities.
There are a lot of other negative things you can do. And, if you’d like to see more, along with some corresponding positive things to do, I’ll be happy to send you those too. Just email me at [email protected]. Thanks.
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"They don't need training."
Words of wisdom from the same genius who told me he didn’t have any competition.
That’s what the owner told me regarding his staff after he’d seen me conducting a meeting with some project managers.
I kept waiting for the punch line...but there was none. He was serious.
Anyway, after realizing he was not kidding, I explained that because I was new to the company, I’d wanted to introduce myself by sharing some of my business development experience with the project managers. It made sense to me because they were the first ones to regularly interact with clients on both an offensive and defensive basis. This way, I could not only introduce myself, but could share some insights.
Insights that had helped me to generate millions of dollars in new and recurring business over the years. Many millions of dollars.
I went on to tell him that it was a short meeting and provided tips which focused on topics such as creating and delivering presentations with impact, developing benefit-related proposals, building client rapport, and language nuances in selling. I then told him that it had gone well and everyone seemed genuinely appreciative.
He repeated ...”They don’t need training.”
I thought that was an interesting philosophy. Especially as I’d been through a fair amount of training over the years and have always found it to be beneficial (see above mentioned “millions of dollars”). So, using my best judgment, I decided to ignore his advice and continued sharing my business development insights in a clandestine manner. On a one-and-one basis with the project managers as situations arose. And they continued to be appreciative. Just secretly.
What was I thinking?
But, I must confess, I did learn a lot that day and eventually understood what he meant. Mainly, that by not training staff you will:
Reduce accounts receivable. This will occur because you will have fewer clients and won’t have to worry as much about processing invoices and collecting monies.
Improve productivity. With fewer clients, staff will not need to spend as much time supporting existing business. (This, in turn, will free them up so they can focus on their job searches.)
Streamline Customer Relationship Management programs. Again, with fewer clients, ongoing CRM programs can be minimized. Perhaps even eliminated, thus saving money on software and related IT expenses.
Reduce out-of-pocket costs. Not investing in training or certification courses of any type meant staff will be free to continue producing: poorly-performing presentations, ineffective proposals and rely on inwardly-facing sales skills designed to subtly alienate clients. All of which will continue to ensure lost business. (See #1 through #3 above.)
Decrease payroll and associated burden costs. Fewer clients translate to staff reduction, thereby resulting in lower payroll, lower payroll taxes and other related overhead costs. (See #1 through #4.)
So, be sure to take the above considerations into account before you head off on some crazy company-wide-training program.
Please feel free to let me know any others I may have missed.
What about Bob?
Bob Musial is a principal at StreetSmart Business Development, LLC. His company provides start-up and established B2B and consumer clients with strategies and techniques designed to enhance communications in order to generate and protect revenue. [email protected] +1 610 212 3195
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