Order Out Of Everyday

Jack and I were comparing notes. We are working with several new companies, and a first step is to figure out what we have to work with.

Early conversations tend to go on and not provide much direction, except to wear everyone out.

However, recapping those conversations on a single sheet of paper sharpens everyone’s focus. Put their logo on it, and they have an official document.

When we start to focus on how that first document could be used to promote the company, we get specific new information...because it wasn’t important before.

Just having a tangible tool defining what the owners want and what they are offering creates enthusiasm and a desire to move forward.

I notice two benefits from these one page recaps. One is cultural and the other transactional.

We have started defining a culture that people recognize about themselves, and we have something other than our good looks anyone can take into a meeting.

What we just figured out today is that these aren’t enough. If we stop improving the paper, all activity stops. I can understand why someone might not be able to create a new document, but just today I realized why the customers won’t build an improved document. I’ve been seeing and ignoring that for over thirty years.

What they need is the discipline of future focus, that they set aside time to keep their process moving forward. I realize we have been providing that time to focus with our weekly meetings. Take that away and tomorrow gets canceled due to lack of interest.

How long do you keep moving the ball down field? Until you score, or you find a better game. Waiting seldom improves a situation.

Does this get you thinking? Try The Final Frontier!

Doing Things Right Or Doing The Right Thing?

I was working with an organization and ran into a strange situation. The head of their skunk works was a hero for doing things right. He was an inspiration for having his team working effectively, following the right order of build, making lists, all the stuff I treasure.

The problem was nothing was coming out of his group. They were working hard, getting sweaty and loud, and were an increasing expense.

Finally, he left, being unable to “get the support of management (the fools).”

The Druid who replaced him was less formal, less rigid, and told good jokes. He looked at the two page list of projects, and abandoned most of them. A few were folded into other efforts.

In two weeks his team was shipping finished prototypes. Turns out they weren’t finished, because by supplying something that worked, we could see what else was needed.

And those improvements were incorporated in less than a month. We were shipping new products!

Trying to define the difference, I realized we had gone from doing things right (a necessary and good policy), to doing the right thing, which was cheaper, more valuable, and easier on the workers.

When you are generating more heat than light, are you doing things right or doing the right thing?

Here is more About Work.

Wrong Perspective

In the last 90 days I’ve seen more than ten promising organizations shut their doors. They just didn’t see a way to continue.

A couple blamed a lack of monetization strategy. They couldn’t find a get rich quick scheme.

Several others said they had key contracts winding down.

I suspect the other two bored themselves to death.

What I noticed was that they all made a change to increase efficiency, curtail constructive time wasting.

Each had found a promising new service to deliver, then turned it over to a fulfillment team. That fulfillment team decided that their work created the value and therefore all revenue was theirs, which meant work expanded to require the resources available.

Which meant there is no hope for further work.

Some time ago, I started the second fulfillment factory for a national marketing firm. Previously I had played a role in developing our systems at the main office. My second attempt delivered the same results in less time and at one third the cost, which caused distress among the HQ crew.

I endured a rash of audits, inspections, and threats before the owner told his minions to back off.

Why did it take an 800 mile move to cut our costs by over 60%? Actually, we had to get space, vendors, and new customers. It would have been a lot less effort at HQ, but it also wouldn’t have been possible. Too many people had the wrong perspective.

Clayton Christensen says look out below for disruptive competition. A corollary is to figure a way to reduce cost and improve service every week to stave off disruption. If I don’t figure it out, some other guy will.

Part of improvement is working with prospects to define an offering they want more than what they are getting. That’s not sales, that’s self preservation. I figure that’s over 40% of value.

Joy’s Law – The real talent pool.

Civility

I was presenting something completely new today, one time only, and had a meeting with a potential buyer. They wanted to see me, as we both know this could be a substantial opportunity for them.

About twenty minutes in, they lost focus, became bitter. We continued, because they were and are still interested, seeing a potential windfall. Ten minutes later, I was gone. They had all the detail they needed, so we are both considering while I chat with some other buyers.

Driving away, I was reflecting how civility, manners and optimism, may or may not have anything to do with the final outcome, but sure make meetings more productive, increasing the possibility of unexpected benefit.

Sure, we could radiate professional boredom, but I wonder how many opportunities are missed after we’ve gone to the trouble of getting face-to-face?

This was a wakeup call for me. Civility improves board work, committee work, and team work.

Or, consider Selling Innovative...

Focus

I REALLY like sitting down first thing in the morning and powering through ten or twelve tasks neatly written on my three by five card. That’s a feat of traditional productivity mastery. 

But that doesn’t happen every morning. There’s a lot of set up to get to that point, figuring out what to do, what the steps should be, and improving them.

Trying to figure a course of action to make some software work better can involve thinking, and writing, and searching, and talking, repeated several times. Fixing is the fun part!

Yesterday I was talking to a warrior who has created a complex process for getting optimal results. When it works. And it’s not working any more. 

Now, nobody cares. He admits something different is needed, but it’s so seductive to do it the way he used to. Even though he knows it’s not going to work. 

In science, we have a scientific method to investigate phenomena. We’re not supposed to fake data, and then attack anyone who points it out. But we do. 

Having focus is not enough. We need the maturity to generate the right focus. Because paybacks are hell. 

Sales Lab’s Rainmaker 19, Foam Ball is 300 seconds of enlightenment at The Capital Technology Management Hub, 6:30 pm on Tuesday, April 9 at Teqcorner, 1616 Anderson Road, Third Floor, McLean, VA 22102. Rainmaker 19 Foam Ball will be immediately followed by our headliner presentation, Tom Cooper, BrightHill Group, Are You Too Busy To Plan?

Focus and Goofing Off

Recently, I was talking with Dick about keys to successful results.

We identified focus as an important element contributing to superior outcomes.

Today was one of those rare balmy January days in Washington, DC, hovering around 60 degrees, so Dick and I headed to a nearby course for a round golf.

While returning to our cars, we had to chuckle about the focus conversation in the context of a mid-week golf game.

However, we suddenly realized that this confirmed the focus principle – instead of goofing off 10 minutes here and there, we had concentrated it in a 4 hour block.

It seems right on so many levels. At times focus can become sharper when you shift your focus to something else for a while.

Kick off the New Year Right at Talk Your Business - How to make more and better sales right away! Wednesday Jan 30, 11:45 - 1:00 at the Arlington Chamber Small Business Roundtable.