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Walk Like a Politician: Trade Show Edition

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Like all of us, I have politics on the brain—my text messages and spam calls have been reminding me about the election for weeks! However, we can learn a few valuable lessons from politicians, which apply to trade shows and conferences.  Yes, it’s trade show and conference season. While some folks are busy counting down the days to Christmas, others are looking down the road and realizing the NAED Eastern meeting is coming up in January. It is not advisable to do all your holiday shopping on December 24, just as waiting until early January to prepare for the upcoming conference is unwise. Let’s discuss the best practices for trade shows and conferences so you aren’t doing the last-minute scramble.  Job 1: Plan and Strategize Job 2: Network and Take Notes Job 3: Follow up Job 4: Debrief your team Start planning early. Your conference is in January, in this example, so you had better start planning in October or early November. 90 working days before the event is the ideal time to start.
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Suviving the Sales Zombies: Is Your Sales Team Brain Dead?

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In the interest of Halloween and all things creepy and scary, here are four signs your sales team might be zombies. Sales teams can sometimes resemble zombies, driven by habit and lacking strategic thought. These “undead” behaviors slowly drain company profits and undermine customer relationships. Here are four warning signs of brain-hungry habits, along with strategies to counter them. 1. Sale Zombies Don’t Understand Their Customers Successful salespeople align products with customer needs. However, many lack knowledge about how customers make money, their internal costs, or key challenges like labor expenses and material waste. Without these insights, they fail to offer meaningful solutions, missing chances to collaborate with specialists and partners. 2. Sales Zombies Don’t Recognize the Value They Provide Sales growth and commissions are not the real value of a salesperson's work. Strong sellers provide valuable services but often misjudge their economic impact, giving away c
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Mask Up: Stay Connected with Your Customers as You Move Up

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The higher you move up in an organization, the more out of touch you become with the customer. This is a challenge all leaders face. And while many accept it and do nothing, it doesn’t have to be this way. How can you overcome that risk?  Well, you could lean on a few well-trusted advisors, or your internal management information system (MIS). You could also commission surveys or focus groups. All of these options, while worthwhile, have an inherent bias. The advisors might have a hidden agenda, or pet project to promote. The MIS system has no bias, but the data is only as good as the program. If the data is too “big” you have a different challenge of how to analyze the data. Surveys and focus groups are only as good as the people conducting them, and the participants still have good reasons to present themselves in a positive light. So, what is a caring, customer-centric C-level professional supposed to do? Put on a costume or disguise and masquerade as a customer. That’s right—put y
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The Dance of Onboarding: Integrating New Hires into Your Corporate Culture

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Have you ever tried to waltz or swing dance with someone who couldn't match your rhythm or didn't know the steps? It can become a clash of styles or cultures, or, worse—somebody gets their toes stepped on. A similar thing can happen when a new hire doesn't quite 'get' the culture. Much like dancing, though, skills can be learned. I recently facilitated a panel on Cultural Quotient (CQ) where we discussed best practices for increasing CQ. This involved intentional learning, self-awareness of physical cues such as body language and personal space, and the willingness to adapt to new cultures. I have some amusing stories about what not to do based on experiences with insensitive former colleagues. However, it's more productive to focus on how employers can improve the onboarding experience and subsequently enhance retention and employee engagement by welcoming people into their corporate culture. Maybe someday in person, over drinks, I'll share a funny story o
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Adopt a Learning Mindset

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The leaves are changing, the stores are full of back-to-school gear and the kids are ready to learn. Are you? Many people get comfortable and think they know an industry, a customer, or an application. Just as there is always someone smarter, there is always something more to learn. I’m not just talking about technology, I’m talking about learning in general, and the need for a “learning mindset.”  What is a learning mindset? It’s many things. 1. A learning mindset equates to a lack of arrogance . You acknowledge the possibility that there is always more to learn or a better way to do something. Even as a seasoned rep agent, you will try the new CRM system and give it a chance before you reject it.  2. Have an open mind . Be willing to at least consider a unique perspective or approach to a problem or situation. You are willing to listen to your regional sales manager present a new way to approach the target market.  3. Take a positive approach to change . Many people dread cha
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Creating More Selling Time…and Money!

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In my conversations with salespeople about sales call numbers, one common point is the need for more selling time.  For newer salespeople breaking into the profession, simply getting enough sales calls to build a territory can be challenging.   For the more experienced seller, not generating enough calls is less of a career shortcoming and more of a frustration.  They have mastered the products and technologies sold by their company and now feel their growth is limited by the natural time constraints of reaching customers.   For top-tier sellers, creating more sales time becomes an instrument to increase their dominance at major customers.  They plan to develop relationships with the dozens of potential buying influences at the account, but somehow find themselves constantly busy with existing contacts.  Try as they may, they are limited by their inability to carve out the time for what Stephen Covey calls “activities that are important but not urgent.” Wherever you are in this sales/t
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The RIF Survival Road Map

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So, you just got RIFFED—a Reduction In Force, aka a re- organization. You feel gobsmacked, mad, sad, rejected, among other emotions. But, as with other potholes in the road of life, you must keep moving forward. After receiving excellent advice in a similar situation, I can confidently share with you the 10-step RIF Survival Road Map. Take a day or two, but no more, to wallow in your emotions. Then, pull yourself together, and chart your path forward. As you do, remind yourself that none of this is personal. All good CEOs must make tough decisions, and that can involve cost-cutting. Appreciate what you learned, and the people you met, and focus on the positive. Set yourself up for success, personally and professionally. If you need to cut costs at home, do so. Put that wine club on hold, review your subscriptions, and cut out some of those non-essentials. While you WILL find another job, there is no sense in digging a hole and deciding on a new opportunity out of desperation. If you ne
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