| Ten years of competitive hell!That was
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| | superficial response for an organization
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| the title on the seminar brochure I
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| | that doesn't have feedback mechanism in
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| received recently. As I survey some of
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| | place to adequately understand its
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| the forces flowing through our economy,
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| | customers.The unfortunate consequences
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| and witness the way in which they effect
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| | are often more pressure, more confusion,
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| my clients, I have to agree. The
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| | and more energy expended in the wrong
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| Information Age is certainly one of the
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| | places.Is there a better way? Sure. A far
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| most turbulent times business people have
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| | more effective response is to create a
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| ever seen.And the force causing the
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| | powerful sales and marketing system. A
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| greatest turbulence is rapid, unrelenting
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| | sales and marketing system provides an
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| change. Consider this. In 1900, the total
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| | interconnected, measurable set of
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| amount of knowledge that mankind had was
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| | processes and tools that ultimately
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| doubling about every 500 years. Today, it
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| | result in increased sales. Where would
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| doubles about every two years. And the
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| | McDonald's be today without a system to
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| pace continues to increase. One futurist
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| | consistently produce hot hamburgers?
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| predicts that today's high school seniors
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| | Where would Ford be if they had no system
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| will have to absorb more information in
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| | to design and build new automobiles? The
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| their final year alone than their
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| | keys to success for these businesses has
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| grandparents did in their entire life.At
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| | been their ability to create and manage
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| the same time that things are changing
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| | effective systems to accomplish their
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| rapidly, competition is increasing in
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| | goals.Sales and marketing can be treated
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| almost every industry. Foreign
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| | in exactly the same way. The process of
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| competitors have entered our markets, the
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| | acquiring customers and then expanding
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| wave of corporate downsizing has
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| | the business with them can be
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| transformed thousands of displaced
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| | systematized. If you're successful in
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| executives into reluctant entrepreneurs,
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| | creating a working system, you'll be
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| and the knowledge explosion continues to
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| | investing your resources in the most
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| evidence itself in new technologies that
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| | effective way, and producing predictable,
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| often provide radically different ways of
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| | regular sales results.Your sales and
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| accomplishing some task.The
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| | marketing system should start with a
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| result?Burgeoning competition in almost
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| | thorough understanding of the needs and
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| every industry. I have yet to meet an
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| | interests of the prospects. Fold into
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| executive who has said, "I have fewer
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| | that an honest awareness of the unique
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| competitors today than I did three years
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| | value your company brings to the market,
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| ago." Continually growing numbers of
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| | and you have the beginning framework for
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| competitors seems to be a characteristic
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| | your system. Your system should focus on
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| of our economy that we are going to have
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| | the highest potential market segments,
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| to live with for the foreseeable
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| | and develop segment-specific processes
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| future.Unfortunately, these forces of
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| | and tools to help you reach your market
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| rapid change and growing competition have
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| | in the most cost-effective way.When your
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| brought a cloud of confusion to CEOs and
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| | system is designed, you'll also have a
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| sales executives trying to grow their
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| | set of criteria in place to help you
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| businesses.One common response to this
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| | adequately assess the potential in such
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| cloud of confusion is what I call
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| | things as advertisements, brochures,
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| "Popcorn." Imagine kernels of popcorn
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| | computer programs, etc.A well-designed
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| simmering in hot oil in the bottom of a
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| | system allows you to move out of the
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| popcorn popper. As the heat grows, one of
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| | desperate reactive mode characterized by
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| the kernels explodes and rockets off
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| | "Popcorn" and into a confident pro-active
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| against the side of the popper. A few
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| | mode.Here are seven questions to
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| moments later, another kernel explodes
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| | determine whether you're operating from
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| and shoots off in another direction.
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| | the "Systems" perspective or the
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| Before long, the canister is full of
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| | "Popcorn" mind set.1. Do you have
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| careening kernels bouncing in every
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| | specific, realistic objectives for your
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| direction.That's my analogy to the way in
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| | sales and marketing efforts?2. Have you
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| which many businesses attempt to increase
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| | precisely identified your highest
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| their sales when the temperature created
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| | potential markets segments?3. Have you
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| by growing competition gets hot. As the
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| | identified the sequence of decisions that
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| heat of the situation grows, they know
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| | a typical prospect goes through to come
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| they have to do something. Then along
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| | to a decision to buy your product or
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| comes a good idea and, pop, like a kernel
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| | service?4. Have you identified the key
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| of exploding popcorn, they lunge at the
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| | activities and processes that must take
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| good idea.The good idea can be anything.
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| | place on a monthly basis in order for you
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| Maybe it's a media representative who
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| | to reach your sales objectives?5. Do you
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| suggests a new advertisement. That sounds
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| | have a monthly measurement of the
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| like a good idea. So, "pop" off they go
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| | quantity and quality of your key
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| after that. Or it could be a salesperson
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| | marketing activities?6. Are you able to
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| suggesting that a computer program will
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| | track exactly how much it costs to create
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| solve their problems. That sounds like a
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| | a customer?7. Do all of your marketing
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| good idea, so "pop," off they go after
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| | collateral (brochures, ads, etc.)
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| that good idea. Next is an advertising
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| | directly support the purposes and
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| agency suggesting a new brochure. That
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| | processes of your system?Obviously, a
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| also sounds good, and "pop," like kernels
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| | positive answer to those questions
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| of corn exploding in every direction,
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| | indicates that you have a well defined
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| they expend money and energy in short
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| | sales and marketing system in place. That
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| term "good ideas."Like kernels of
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| | means that you have gone from reactive to
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| popcorn, they frantically chase lots of
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| | pro-active marketing, and that you're
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| good ideas hoping that one will be the
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| | well on your way to regular, predictable
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| answer to the marketing problems. The
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| | sales. Negative answers mean that you
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| problem is that these good ideas rarely
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| | have some work to do to bring your sales
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| have any relationship to one another.
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| | and marketing efforts into a proactive
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| And, they generally present superficial
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| | mode to allow you to successfully compete
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| solutions to problems which are often
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| | in the turbulent 21st Century.Copyright
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| deeper. The company's time and energy is
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| | 2006 Dave KahleDave Kahle, the Growth
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| diverted toward these superficial "good
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| | Coach (R), is a consultant/trainer who
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| ideas," and away from the deeper
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| | helps clients increase sales and improve
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| solutions.For example, an advertisement
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| | sales productivity. Dave has trained
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| in a trade journal may be a superficial
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| | thousands of salespeople, and is the
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| solution for a company that does not have
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| | author of over 500 articles, a monthly
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| a system for identifying qualified
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| | ezine, and six books.
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| prospects. And a new brochure may be a
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