Clarity and Specificity

Perhaps you have the same challenge as me. I’m always challenged on how I can be clearer and more specific in my words, both written and verbal. It’s critical because everything that I communicate has to be well understood. It must be so crisp and to the point that instantly, people ‘get it’. Frankly, I have a lot of improving to do in this regard. I’m going to be reworking and simplifying my simple web site once again, because I think the messaging can be much better.

I got thinking about this today because I had had received an email from a business friend that, for me, wasn’t as clear and specific as it should be. The person was asking for my feedback on the wording of a communication. Now, it may be that I didn’t process it well. But that’s the point. I didn’t get it. Kudos go to my friend for taking the time to reach out to me (and others) and ask for feedback.

This may be something for you to think about also. Is your marketing message clear and specific? Is your sales conversation clear and specific? Are work order instructions in your company clear and specific? Are job descriptions and expectations clear and specific? They should be. If they’re not you may be wasting valuable resources- money and time.

© 2009 Peter E. McDowell
PERFORMA Business Development
Different View/ Better Results
pete@performabusdev.com
Web @ http://www.performabusdev.com
Blog @ http://petemcd.wordpress.com/
Connect with Pete on biznik, Contribution Networking Party, Eastside Entrepreneurs, Facebook, Konnects, Linked In, Plaxo and Twitter.

Cutbacks Here To Stay

A small but interesting article caught my attention today in the Wall Street Journal. A recent survey by Watson Wyatt Worldwide indicates that many of the cuts in jobs, pay and benefits that have taken place over the past year or more will be permanent. Companies are not going back to the way they were. Jobs will not be replaced. Pay levels will be very slow to rebound. Employees will continue to pay for more of their own benefits and companies will pitch in much less to the overall benefits menu.
So, what does this mean for you if you’re in a small business and your target market is tilted toward a mid-market or large business? My thoughts-

1. If you provide benefits consulting and-or programs, your expertise is going to be needed because many of these companies are not aware of the options they can exercise in order to both cut costs and keep the remaining work force engaged, productive and happy. Although nervous about the stability of the economy and just thankful to still be gainfully employed, they also see benefits cuts as just one more example of being devalued;
2. If you provide human resources consulting, your expertise is needed for the same reasons- companies will need to be shown how they can keep their employees valued and in the game. Right now they’re not feeling that- they’re scared and thankful to have a job. You can deliver innovative ideas and concepts to the C-level management team that will help them to get the most out of their human assets and meet financial targets and other metrics;
3. If you have expertise in areas of marketing, sales, IT, accounting you have opportunities to show creativity and value by being a contract employee to solve a specific challenge or need.

Most companies are shedding people in areas that do not directly drive revenue and profit. Companies are morphing more and more into concept and idea farms to develop products and services with long term potential. That’s why manufacturing is outsourced by technology companies. That’s why accounting and IT services are outsourced. And, increasingly, sales are being outsourced.
Think about your business. Where can it play a role in providing needed services to a larger company, one that is not going back to doing things the same way; one that is not adding costs back into its mix as the economy slowly gets better.
© 2009 Peter E. McDowell
PERFORMA Business Development
Different View/ Better Results
We work with owners and senior managers in small businesses under $50mil to get much better results through developing an aligned strategic plan that focuses heavily on marketing and sales. As a (based in) Seattle Consulting firm we deliver business best practices and business strategic planning.
pete@performabusdev.com
Web @ http://www.performabusdev.com
Blog @ http://petemcd.wordpress.com/
Connect with Pete on biznik, Contribution Networking Party, Eastside Entrepreneurs, Facebook, Konnects, Linked In, Plaxo and Twitter.

What You Think, Part 2

Picking up where I left off, we know the following: (1) what we and customers think about is what is fresh in the mind right now, (2) macro marketing over long periods of time affect what is in each person’s brain and how they think about things, (3) what is in the mind is literally made up on the spot. This is important for the profession of sales.

As a sales person, you should know that things that are made up, right now, may be true or they may not be. They might be making something up that is off the topic (maybe their mind is wandering or they have a personal issue clouding things), off the wall (maybe they are confused or not focused), or is pure nonsense and you should pay attention to that one.

Let’s take a look at the nonsense part, because this is something that occurs frequently.

Buyer: “We’re looking for you to reduce your prices to us by 10% a quarter over the next three years.”
Yeah, right. Let’s think about this scenario. Your product has a cost of $1.00 and you sell it for $1.35. Reducing the price by 10% twelve times brings it in at $0.38. What nonsense. Even if you squeeze your vendors a bunch, and you decrease your margins, you won’t get close to this. Call him on it. He just made it up. By the way, this actually happened to me.

You: “Mr. Buyer, I totally understand your concern about and need for cost reduction for your organization. But frankly, this demand doesn’t make sense to me. Let’s take a moment to go through the numbers and I’ll show you where I am coming from. That will give us both a better understanding of things and would be worthwhile, wouldn’t it?”

And then take a page from your business best practice book- go on to point out the real math for the example. Use this opportunity to ask more questions about how you and your company can help them to achieve their goals. And remember, both of you will be making it up as you go along.

This is where verifying what you hear comes in. The practice of listening and reflecting back isn’t a little game to mimic someone. It’s a technique that makes the words more real. When you reflect back to someone exactly what they just said, what they were just thinking, it becomes more real- for them and for you. Write down what they say and review it with them, word for word.

“Mr. Schmedlap, what I think I heard you say, is the most important two things for you to move forward with us are…… Did I get that right?”

Mr. Schmedlap will either say “Yes”, “No”, or, “Well, that is what I said but what I really meant was…” It could be the key to how you develop your proposal because your proposal should match what they said was critically important.

To sum up, the way you think and the way your customers (or, buyers) think are point-in-time thoughts. They are made up on the spot. Be aware of this. Adjust your conversation around this awareness and question into what customers actually say. Get deep and detailed with your questions. Confirm what they say and make it real for them. Use their words exactly and weave these into your proposal or into building your relationship. Make thinking about what you think or they think a business best practice.

© 2009 Peter E. McDowell
PERFORMA Business Development
Different View/ Better Results
Business Best Practices, Business Strategic Planning
pete@performabusdev.com
Web @ http://www.performabusdev.com
Blog @ http://petemcd.wordpress.com/
Connect with Pete on biznik, Contribution Networking Party, Eastside Entrepreneurs, Facebook, Konnects, Linked In, Plaxo and Twitter.