The 3 questions of successful selling B2B.
It is pretty obvious, although not always acted on that you should define the problem before you spend time trying to sell a solution. There are many techniques to getting to the point where the sale can be made, libraries have been written, but in my experience, 3...
The hardest bit
Yesterday, I wrote about the process jig-saw that supports an implemented ERP system as it works to drive efficiency, but deliberately left out the hardest bit. The most challenging changes necessary to make an ERP implementation deliver the value promised are the...
Sales & Operational Planning processes summarised
Talking to a client last week about his S&OP processes, (or lack of them despite the software) I realised that we were both using English, but were talking a different language. This is often a challenge in S&OP implementations, and even amongst those who have...
Demand chains as the competitive differentiator.
We can learn a lot about supply chain management from successful retailers. To be successful, generally they have identified their logistics chains as a key source of competitive advantage and they work on it. Their business model depends on having the stock on shelf...
A strong sense of purpose.
It is not the words of a company vision that count, as much as the conversation that goes on around the water cooler about the purpose of an organisation. The notion of including all personnel in a conversation about business purpose is very effective. Sam Palmisano,...
Forecasts are not predictions.
If you want a prediction, go to the lady in the tent at the local fair. If you want a forecast, talk to those who have an intimate knowledge of the drivers of the outcomes you are seeking to forecast. Good forecasting is an iterative process, the more you do, the...
Questions sell.
Selling is all about finding the way your product can add value to your prospective customer greater than the price you are asking for it. Why is it then that most selling activities I see are the commercial equivalent of "flashing" your wares and hoping the"...
Marketing focus.
It is easy to see opportunities outside the "home base" often easier than seeing them close to home. However, success comes with exploiting potential in existing markets before you "export" resources to chasing new ones. Chase market penetration, cost reduction, value...
Lessons from the coal-face.
As we appear to be coming out of the worst of the downturn, as highlighted by the .25% increase in the prime rate day before yesterday, it would be a mistake to think that the good times are back without trying to learn from the pain of the last 18 months. Across my...
The organisation pyramid.
Organisation charts almost always depict organisations as an equalateral triangle. It is a simple change in perspective, to see it with a third dimension, like the Egyptian pyramid. Suddenly, it is clear that the guts of the organization are largely hidden from view....