Sales

Do You Have a Compelling Why?

November 6, 2018 By kwmccarthy

“The compelling why” is not the same as your “why” — your true reason for being.

The concept of a compelling why is really just an important mission that captures our heart and spurs us on with unfolding energy, vigor, and determination. But missions eventually end. At that point, does it mean our reason for being ends too? Of course not!

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Getting on the bandwagon for a good cause is worthy.

But what if there’s more to life than a compelling why?

In today’s On-Purpose Minute, consider the importance of knowing your simple why and the profound manner in which it can inform your life, keep you from costly distractions or dangerous detours, and help you make much better decisions across the board.

Your why can be thought of as the pilot flame. A meaningful cause or a “compelling why” brings added fuel and focus to a fire already burning within you.

Think of your simple why as your purpose in life.

Purpose answers the big question, Why do I exist? When you know the answer to this question, everything else in life has context and meaning. This is a powerful and healthier place to be in your life and decision-making.

At On-Purpose Partners, we help clients write their why in 2-word purpose statements. From decades of experience we know that when this core question is answered short and sweet, life and business improves—period.

A “compelling why” is often batted about by motivational speakers, sales trainers, and leaders to engage people in their cause or vision of the future.

Getting swept up in the moment or the movement regardless of whether it is a charitable cause, a sports team, or a political candidate is exciting and worthwhile. Most of us are drawn to a compelling why and jump on board because it is a good fit or it aligns with our purpose.

Examples of a “compelling why”—really a meaningful mission—are below:

A single mom working two jobs to provide a college education for her children
Mothers who from their loss of a loved one start MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) to educate and advocate against drunk driving and drivers
Volunteers who work to stop human trafficking, hunger, oppression, or other social needs

Worthy causes touch each person’s soul differently. Have you ever considered why one cause is meaningful and engaging to you … while others are not, yet someone else is on fire and passionate about the same cause? Personal experience and preference certainly play into the attraction, but there’s more below the surface.

Your why lives below the surface.

This is the On-Purpose Principle at work where the purpose of the person and the purpose of the organization have high alignment. Therefore, you’re more inclined to be engaged or compelled to participate with the preciousness of your time, talent, and resources.

Would you like help in discovering your 2-word Personal Purpose Statement?

Go to ONPURPOSE.me. On-Purpose.me logo This online app will guide you through a process of selecting a purpose statement, plus you’ll receive a 10-email course that’s practical to being on-purpose.

Do You Know Your Target Audience?

October 25, 2018 By kwmccarthy

Are your sales not where you would like them to be?

With many new clients, I often find that the failure to aim narrowly at a specific target audience is

confusing clients
extending the sales process
demanding on salespersons
losing them business

Is your marketing strategy and plan truly promoting your goods and services to the right people?

Time and again when interviewing business owners, salespersons, and marketers, I find their marketing message falls short because of confusion over a target market versus a target audience. This simple strategic marketing mistake costs dearly as the customer is left confused with messages that speak at them instead of to them. Confused customers are less inclined to buy.

Conducting a target audience analysis identifies specific needs, wants, hopes, and aspirations.

When you speak the customer’s language it offers assurance that you understand them and know how to solve their problem. Their comfort that you can identify their specific problem draws them to a conclusion that you are more appropriate and capable of caring for them.

When you’re perceived to be a less risky purchase, then the value proposition tilts in your favor. More sales can follow.

Communicating in generalities leaves customers guessing.

Here are two examples of ads from home heating and air conditioning companies in a local paper.

Ad #1 reads: “We’re the number one HVAC specialists. Call us for all your needs.”

Ad #2 reads: “Has your home air conditioning system just stopped? Call and be cool soon.”

Advertiser #2 has invested a bit more time that speaks to the specific needs of his target audience. It may appear a more expensive and narrow strategy, but the real test is not the number of calls, but the number of qualified calls. What do you think, will #2 beat #1?

Follow this simple On-Purpose Business Person rule of thumb:

Now that you’re thinking about the concept, who’s your target market and target audience? Want to talk it out? We’re here to help you.

Salesperson Turnover? Why it matters.

August 9, 2018 By kwmccarthy

Salesperson turnover is a consistent problem in businesses small and large.

Being a salesperson is a tough profession. It is typically hard work requiring a variety of skills that can often be contradictory within one person. For example, one needs to be persuasive and a leader, yet also a good listener and a servant. The On-Purpose Approach reconciles many of these qualities by placing purpose first and foremost.

Today’s On-Purpose^® Business Minute explores 3 important elements to set up salespeople (and solo owners) for success and avoiding salesperson turnover.

Culture of belief
Marketing
Sales training

After decades of advising thousands of business owners, the patterns of poverty jump at me. If you are a business owner, sales manager, or a salesperson, then pay close attention to this message. Benchmark yourself against my comments and see how well your selling system operates to support your field. Perhaps there’s a reason why you can’t find and keep good salespeople!

If you are a Solo Owner, then benchmark yourself against these three measures.

Being the salesperson and the production person presents a unique challenge. Far too often I see small business owners veering into the realm of thinking, Yeah, I think I can do that.

Instead of staying with what one does best and finding clients who truly value your services and where you are expert, we drop down the learning curve and grab work for the money instead of realizing we’re losing profitability and diluting our brand by confusing our target audience. It is a dangerous cycle of being money-driven instead of being on-purpose.

Be On-Purpose!

Kevin

Want to learn more?

Purchase your copy of The On-Purpose Business Person. Click on the book cover to order.

Just Because We Can, Do We?

July 19, 2018 By kwmccarthy

Spread way too thin?

Does your “To Do List” look more like an “It’ll Never Get Done List”?

Welcome to my world where I have

more ideas than time
more projects than production capacity
a willing work ethic that admittedly tends toward workaholism

Who in your life is asking you this question: “Just because we can, do we?”

As a business advisor who develops deep strategy and designs businesses, I’ve seen far too many entrepreneurs and business owners confuse their capacity to perform as their reason to perform.

“We can do that!”

Having the ability to do something isn’t necessarily a sound reason for actually taking it on. I’ve been learning to be far more judicious about what I do. I also keep an “Ideas” file. Placing my scribbles and thinking into notes and notecards tends to discharge the energy or the immediacy and provides a cooling off period where perspective can be gained and better judgments made about what matters most.

Admittedly this is easier to write about than to live into.

The phone rang from a new business advisory client. I took the call. The business was in a revenue freefall.

Sales had dropped from $220 million to $70 million.
The business fundamentals had changed.
The unexpected death of the co-founders created chaos and confusion.

The young new family ownership was unprepared to lead or manage a business of this scale. Something had to change—fast!

The business had many functional strengths in operations, finance, facilities, brand, and such. Tremendous business capacity resided with relatively very sound infrastructure. They could do business, but could they remain in business?

Business is an inside-out reality.

What’s happening within the business is reflected outside the business. Customer engagement is important; however, it is leadership and management who create the means for that engagement to shrivel or thrive.

Marketing, in this case, had never been strategic. The deceased owner had a knack for it. Today, no one was at the helm with a feel for the business. In short, the company was in the midst of a very costly identity crisis that affected the internal culture and marketing. The customer experience suffered and very predictably, sales plummeted.

Working with the new owners and the hired president, we crafted a heartfelt purpose, vision, missions, and values. Then we partnered to develop a business plan. It rippled into a renewed marketing plan, sales plan, sales tools, sales training program, and field train-the-trainer program.

Let’s just say, probably a million dollars was invested in the entire project by the time we were ready to launch.

The relaunch date of the company was set. Company-wide months of thought, effort, and resources had been poured into this push to reinvigorate the business. A special convention was called to unveil the months of planning and preparations.

The week before the big relaunch, the company president attended a technology conference extolling the opportunities to be found in that industry, an unrelated business. The president, however, figured, “We have a loyal customer base and the capacity to attempt this. They’ll follow us.” This was true, but not wise.

Over my and his managers’ vigorous objections, he hurriedly hijacked the conference agenda, threw together a presentation of his vision, and launched a business concept (no support in place, mind you, to execute) to his 500-person sales force flown in and housed at the company’s expense.

Need I say more! The sales force wasn’t just confused, they were red-hot angry. It was as if a “bait and switch” had happened right before their eyes. The owner was playing around willy-nilly with their livelihoods.

The day after the “announcement,” the engagement with On-Purpose Business Advisors was mutually ended. The company could pursue what eventually proved to be—no big surprise—a very costly tangent that killed trust and momentum … and eventually put the company all but out of business.

Of course, this client had a host of people telling him not to do what he was doing. He just refused to listen and paid with his family’s business.

An idea alone, even a great idea, is never justification or rationalization for starting new initiatives, projects, or companies. In most cases, investing the same effort to launch something new is more wisely invested in updating, upgrading, and deepening what exists already.

Let the simplicity of the On-Purpose business approach guide you: Do More of What You Do Best More Profitably. A great exercise for new projects or businesses is to use The Service Model to design and develop your idea.

By capturing the essence of your thinking with a consistent approach, you will be more realistic.

Then file it away and give yourself a cooling off period. Later pull it out and evaluate it against the other opportunities, projects, and ideas you have.

Personal/Team Discussion: Show and read this On-Purpose Business Minute to your team and ask the following: Considering the many projects and opportunities on our plate, assess each against … Just because we can, do we?

The drive to make money and the capacity to produce are not predictors of customer acceptance. What lessons or stories do you have to share about leading the organization?

How Convincing Are You?

June 14, 2018 By kwmccarthy

When was the last time a salesperson convinced you to buy something? And how did that purchase work out for you?

Some salespeople see selling as a win–lose competitive game of point–counterpoint verbal combat. Be careful! It can work, but it is a highly skilled game that walks a fine line between providing the needed information and intimidating the buyer into a purchase—once! Sales is listening

Sales is learning what’s important to the customer and addressing it.

The best salespeople ask lots of questions; then they shut up and listen with both ears wide open.

For example, in technical sales where buyer and seller are highly qualified and knowledgeable, this approach can be an act of sizing up and iron sharpening iron. Generally, you’ll find that it is the buyer, not the seller, who initiates this more pressured approach.

Be careful, however, because the difference between healthy banter and an unhealthy, dominating buyer may be a very thin line. In the latter case, a humble, noncombative approach may serve you best. In other times, the better the banter, the better your chances. Skilled salespersons can turn it on or off depending upon the buyer’s style and by assessing the appropriateness of the situation and person.

In a sales situation where the seller knows more than the buyer and the buyer is communicating the need for input or insight, attempts by the seller to convince the buyer often result in a buyer turnoff. The buyer may sense that the seller is more interested in making the sale than consulting or serving them with integrity. In short, they don’t trust the salesperson. When that happens the transaction is disadvantaged.

One of the great challenges in selling today is the leveling effect of information from the internet. Most buyers can find tons of information, reviews, and competitive analysis on goods and services. Therefore, as a salesperson or business owner who is selling, counting on your strategic advantage as being more informed than the buyer is a dangerous proposition. In fact, you may be more knowledgeable and experienced than the buyer, but to try to argue or convince the buyer sets up a high-risk scenario for creating distrust. Humility, not hubris, is the better path.

One of your strategic advantages and value propositions is the diversity of clients and customers you’ve worked with. In other words, you see patterns of use and abuse. You’re able to borrow from the experience of other customers and advise clients as to likely scenarios they may encounter and may not have anticipated.

Those involved in selling often find themselves in a really tough place.

From the strength of their knowledge and conviction, they perceive they know exactly what their client or customer needs, yet the client isn’t buying. Your natural inclination may be to lean into the act of convincing them with an even more reasoned set of facts, benefits, and features why this is the right purchase for them. Just how convincing do you think you’ll really be?

When that urge to tell overtakes your tongue consider just the opposite approach. Ask more questions. Ideally, you have what I call a “patterned conversation” in which you have a strong sense of what needs to happen (a pattern of questions that leads to an informative and insightful exchange) but not a preconceived notion of where it may lead.

Ultimately, buyers are looking to advance their larger goal.

If you don’t know the larger goal then you’re not really listening and learning what’s at stake.

Getting into a “convincing-fest” is rarely your best approach for earning the relationship and sale. It is often an indication of a salesperson who is taking shortcuts or is using dominance or personality or style to pressure someone into doing something they don’t want. This manipulation, however, can work.

Alternatively, there’s a time when a customer needs to be led to their decision. Leveraging your experience and capacity to anticipate their needs, you’ll take them along the path of discovery versus jumping to the final destination. It takes more time, but it often makes for a better solution for the client because you, too, will learn some things along the way and be able to provide a more valuable end result. Truth be told, you can make a sale or you can build a relationship. Ideally, you do both.

Sales Prospecting or Farming?

March 15, 2018 By kwmccarthy

Sales prospecting and farming represent two modes of selling.

Be clear about which one works and works for you.

Over the years, clients have engaged On-Purpose Partners to assess and design their sales architecture, often with On-Purpose^® being foundational content. Such engagements demand a blend of

strategy
psychology
marketing
selling
curriculum development
business
and more

One of the first design decisions to assess is if the client’s business, mindset, and preference is for building a prospecting or a farming sales approach.

Many other company decisions and investments hinge on this simple differentiation.

As a keynote speaker to sales organizations at conferences and conventions, I’ve learned to psych out their leanings early. Whether it be an insurance, real estate, or direct sales organization, there are similarities and differences in their cultures and approaches; yet these two generalized worldviews on selling remain staples of the selling process.

Corporate executives set the tone but often a product or service defines the sales approach. Generally, if a company is in manufacturing or is technology oriented, they tend to favor the prospecting approach mentioned in this On-Purpose Business Minute. Customers are part of the “human resources” supply chain of logistics and transactions. Here people are deployed to meet business objectives by digging out customers.

Company executives who favor the farming approach, however, tend to focus more on cultivating relationships.

This longer-term view of people sees a long tail of repeat sales and referrals in the context of the lifelong value of a customer. It affects commitment and investment in planning, people, operations and, ultimately, customer service standards and training.

Salespeople as farmers or prospectors are typically engaged in very similar activities of making sales calls, gathering information, preparing presentations, and closing deals. Astute salespeople readily assess the best approach for a particular book of business. If you find yourself scratching your head wondering what the higher-ups are thinking, then there is a good chance they are (or you are) oblivious to the culture they’re creating in the field. They’re prospecting for immediate nuggets of sales while you’re growing a crop of relationships and caring for a soil of the relationship … or vice versa.

Be aware of which approach is best suited to the company, customers, and, frankly, your personal style that plays into your definition of success.

Years ago, a friend came to me ready to pull his hair out by the roots. He loved where he worked as an admissions representative at a private vocational college. The problem was he is a farmer and he was being measured as a prospector. Every phone call, email, and piece of mail was measured and accrued to his measurement system.

Together we designed a simple tool to engage student candidates into a conversation instead of an information session. At great risk to his metrics, his call volume went down, his mailings decreased, and his number of “contacts” declined. The first month, his boss was all over him for non-performance. However, by the second month, his admissions soared to the number 3 spot of all reps—an achievement he had never before attained. Within 3 months, he was leading all reps and out-distancing them. Soon two reps approached him and asked what he was doing differently. Within a month all three of them held the top 3 positions.

They had discovered farming versus prospecting!

This story isn’t to propose that prospecting is bad. On the contrary, it is to say that the culture and the sales culture didn’t match and the results were impoverished by comparison to a proper match.

By the way, the story gets even better. In time, the leadership altered the system to reflect a farming approach that was people-centric. Under the “prospecting” approach, student turnover (withdrawals from the college) was very high. With the “farming” approach, admitted students tended to stay in place. This was an unexpected bonus, but an intuitive result.

The point of this On-Purpose Business Minute for the executives, VPs of Marketing & Sales, and Sales Managers is to assess your industry, company, and culture. Decide which approach is best suited to creating the customer experience you wish to deliver. Armed with this information, evaluate your company language, alignment, and operations to see if you’re on-purpose or not.

Sales prospecting or farming? Now you’re a bit more informed to make wiser decisions.

Be On-Purpose!
Kevin

Are You Thinking of Starting a Business?

November 30, 2017 By kwmccarthy

Economic tough times, job loss, greater expression, or the chance to be your own boss are just some of the reasons people start a business. The barriers to entry are relatively low and the opportunities for success often appear high.

The hurdles to success, however, are hidden at the start but invariably emerge. Be aware of what lies ahead and you increase your odds of winning.

Looking for some help with either starting or running your business?

On-Purpose Partners provides business advisory services. Our clients and customers have spanned from Founders and CEOs of Fortune 500 companies to wannabe entrepreneurs.

If your business is less than $2 million in sales, you can hire me to help you with our On-Purpose Executive Coaching.

Can’t afford much?

The On-Purpose Business Person is available in softcover or Kindle e-book.
The Service Model is an inexpensive tool to help you plan your business, anticipate what’s coming, and understand the relationships of one level of the business to the next. Order one, just one, because you can print more from the PDF.

Here’s the bottom line for your business start-up (or ongoing venture): invest the time to articulate your purpose, vision, missions, and values.

Until you know

who you are
why you are here
where you are going
and what’s important

you’re really at a major and costly strategic disadvantage.

When it comes to your small business start-up or ongoing enterprise, give yourself every advantage by being on-purpose.

What Makes for a Good Day’s Work?

October 19, 2017 By kwmccarthy

What is your measure for a good day’s work?

Chances are you know a good day when you have one, but do you have any specific measures that you could apply to your workday? If you don’t have specific measures, then is it any surprise that so many days are less than fulfilling?

A consistent comment I hear from business advisory clients is dissatisfaction and lack of personal productivity.

Because most of my clients are business owners, CEOs, and presidents, they tend to measure company sales and profits as the basis of success. Of course, that measure is really one for the business, not the person.

Today I’m turning to you to share your standard(s) for what makes for a good day’s work for you. Please use the comments section below today’s On-Purpose Business Minute to share your thoughts with all of us.