Recently during an executive consulting session, I was asked which is the more important conversation to initiate with a client, the tactical conversation or the strategic one? Answer…it’s situational but, it is better to err on the strategic side. Once you go tactical you can’t go back. Read more
Closing deals effectively is one of the biggest challenges to anyone in business. One way to master the process of closing is to think “Winter Olympics” and the downhill skier who hits certain flags through their heat to win the race.
You and I…we are those skiers but in a business fashion. Let’s break it down to four flags to hit to close a client with integrity and thoroughness. Read more
In one infamous scene in the movie “A League of Their Own,” Tom Hanks’ girls baseball manager character is shocked to see one of his players weeping after he has scolded her for making a bad play. “Are you crying? Are you….crying? There’s no crying in baseball!”
Right! And there is no entitlement in business. Only achievement.
In a post 2008 world, all of us need to heed this realization. I especially recommend my millennial clients pay attention. Times are tough out there still. And though stories of the economic recovery are in our papers every day, you probably still have many friends and relatives not employed. We need to keep in mind that often in our new world we’re only as good as our last performance to the organizations and company brass for whom we work. There are people out there hungry to have your job…and they’ll work hard to get it.
Therefore, to understand your advancement, create your own development/advancement plan with your superior.
I’m sure the person you report to has their own metrics they will employ to determine your advancement. Job #1 for you, though, is to understand these metrics and discuss them with him/her so that you are clear about what your path looks like. Once you have an understanding of this path, you can then shape your own developmental recommendations given your unique added value to the organization. You can put forth your ideas of your achievement from the understanding of your superior’s ideas. Then, you both own your development plan without any ambiguity. Now you have a clear scorecard on which to concentrate throughout the year to advance.
So, develop your success plan. Get buy-in from your superior with goals based on clear metrics. Show progress on that plan by hitting milestones. And then…when you’re confident you have achieved the goals, ask for the promotion. Remember…you won’t get it if you don’t ask! Good luck. Let me know how it goes. If you need help with your plan, give me a call.
A few years ago, I was working with very savvy clients in San Diego on a sales development program. One night,I was dining with my client who expressed to me that after 20 years in selling and negotiating he realized this important distinction:
Process vs. Pain.
What he said was: “I focus so heavily on understanding the ‘process’ of my client’s business that I’ve neglected to pinpoint and understand his ‘pain.” He realized that it was mission-critical for him to locate a client’s pain and truly size it BEFORE delving into the client’s process of how he/she runs their business.
In essence, finding their pain first then understanding their process. If you focus your attention too early on fixing the process, you will miss what is really at the heart of the matter. And thus, you will lose the opportunity to provide a solution for a much larger set of issues and become a trusted advisor. Listen first, ask the right questions and get to the pain first. The process will come.
The best, fastest way to understand a client’s situation is to find their pain within the first ten minutes of your meeting. Ask questions like:
Size their pain with questions like:
Stay in their pain with questions like:
If you think your client doesn’t have pain points in his work, then you aren’t digging enough. Do your research, which includes asking your client the right questions. The more you ask questions like this, the more you will find your champion who will act as your tether-line to the truth!
