Please join us April 12^th at 11:30am EST | 8:30am PST | 16:30 BST | 17:30 CET for the next complimentary webinar in our Buyer’s Perspective series.  Register Now

Have any customer execs you’re still trying to meet?

Then try a new approach – one that may seem contrary to all you thought you knew.  

Set aside your old beliefs and join us for this complimentary webinar where we’ll share a structured strategy to measurably improve your success rate accessing customer executives.  

Stop searching for the perfect grabber line, start employing strategies that:

• Answer the 4 questions executives need addressed
• Use modes of contact you may not have considered before
• Cite trigger points that cause target contacts to pay attention
• Craft messages that provokes business curiosity to learn more

Please join us for this rapid paced session on how to win access to customer executives.

Register Now

Executive Conversation’s Co-Founder and Chairman sat down with analysts from Brandon Hall Group to share his business insights and ideas for developing high performing sales and marketing organizations.  Following is a portion of the interview:

You have been working with some of the largest and most successful sales and marketing organizations for more than a decade. What would you say are the biggest changes that these organizations are going to face in the next decade?

In the last decade we saw organizations begin to recognize that people were their greatest asset. We also saw the rise of software and processes focused on that realization. However, the application of that thinking, particularly in the sales and marketing process has been grossly underwhelming. I see organizations actually applying the idea that “our people are our greatest asset” in the future.

The second big change I see occurring in the sales and marketing sphere, is the proliferation of information. The exponential growth of information and the technology to manage that information will affect sales and marketing functions, more than it does research and development or manufacturing.

Many people may say that the biggest changes are going to be due to shifts in healthcare or changes in various industries, I would tell you that I believe there are going to be quantum shifts in both the application of the people within organizations driving the business forward, and the effect of technology and information on the sales and marketing process.

What are the greatest opportunities and challenges for traditional sales professionals facing this new “cloud” market today?

Let me address it from both the people that are within the technology industry and people that are not but are linked to the industry. So as an example, it is easy to think of the companies I mentioned Amazon, Oracle, and IBM as being within the phenomenon. On the other hand, you can think of GE Radiology, Hospira with infusion pumps in the healthcare industry both of whom have to adjust their business model to take advantage of their customer and the healthcare industry which is moving towards this cloud environment.

So let’s first focus on the technology firms. Within the technology firms, having a cloud [system] is a “so what?” I read an interesting article about Mark Hurd, President of Oracle Corporation, talking about the difference between his cloud and Salesforce.com, and IBM. He basically said that the cloud should be free, it should be open, and information should be capable of moving in and out. He’s already talking about second-generation cloud [computing], where you can start off at the Oracle cloud and you can move your stuff to Amazon’s cloud, and then you can bring it back.

Already we’re on generation two of cloud computing and I would say it’s not even rolled out. Talking about cloud computing in and of itself when you’re in the technology industry has already become a discussion of features and functions. Buyers are already down to “I don’t really care, maybe I’ll use the post office’s cloud maybe I’ll use Amazons.”

What technology people have to recognize is that now the discussion turns to what is the business change that that grows out of this technology. How does this impact healthcare, financial services, manufacturers. I’m already seeing products that are cutting edge, as a sales professional you need to come to me with the business effect rather than just come to me with the “cloud.”

Download the full interview

Our Consulting Executives agree: most sales calls they’ve taken have turned out a poor use of time. Why? Digging deeper reveals a general issue often lost on sellers.

To be sure, sellers lacking product knowledge wasn’t the issue. Without exception, our Consulting Executives agreed that most sales professionals they’ve met with were enthusiastic and skilled in presenting their wares.

The core problem was that they couldn’t understand what exactly the seller could do for their business, or why they should care. These sellers had fallen into the trap of being so close to their forest that they couldn’t describe the trees to a buyer.

What to do? Tell them your story.

Storycrafting

The art of storytelling remains as important today – if not more – as in the days of buggies and blacksmiths. Here’s a 2-step framework to get started:

1. Paint your customer into the picture.
   Describe their current situation — the problem you’re solving — then work backward to align the value of what you’re selling. Help them feel like they’re there, experiencing a day-to-day challenge firsthand.
2. Describe how you’ll change their business.
   Share example use cases of how you see the customer operating differently after investing in your solution.

Examples

• Providing maintenance technicians in the field access to the same resources they have in the office
• Eliminating two steps of a business process
• Consolidating X number of systems down to Y

And as a good storyteller always does, hold a little something back to provoke sufficient curiosity to continue the conversation.

Check your work

When preparing your story, recognize that customers won’t listen to your point of view until they believe you understand and appreciate theirs.

Validate your story’s relevance by being prepared to address:

• How your idea represents new thinking, something the customer doesn’t already know
• How you’re enabling the customer to do something that can’t by themselves
• Why you’re you talking to that particular decision-maker about it
• Why that individual decision-maker shouldn’t delegate the matter

The next opportunity you have to engage with a business decision-maker, don’t tell them what you sell, tell them your story!

We’re pleased to announce that we have been named one of the top 20 sales training companies in the world by Training Industry, Inc.

“Industry interest in developing business and financial acumen continues to grow,” said Ken Taylor, COO of Training Industry, Inc.  “We really like the way Executive Conversation’s training is tailored for each role in an organization.”

Intended as guidance for buyers of training services, selection to this year’s Top 20 Sales Training Companies was based on the following criteria:

• Innovation in the sales training market
• Completeness of service offering
• Industry recognition and impact on sales training industry
• Strength of clients served
• Geographic reach and participants trained
• Company size and growth potential

Please see the full News Release for further information about this award and recognition.

Please join us Thursday, March 8, 2012 at 11:30am EST | 8:30am PST | 16:30 BST | 16:30 GMT for the next complimentary webinar in our Buyer’s Perspective series.  Register Now

How well do you understand the way your accounts financially score projects? 

Are you comfortable working with decision-makers to develop a full and fair picture of your solution’s value?

Customers financially evaluate investments many ways, however the basis for most analyses shares a common set of steps that you can positively influence.  Join us for this complimentary webinar to learn how to involve yourself in your account’s ROI analyses and close a higher percentage of late stage deals.

ROI is a critical step in the buyer’s approval process, but not one the customer alone must own.  This 30-minute session will share how to:

• Understand the end game:  what’s the target number?
• Ensure all line items are included in the calculation
• Manage timing recognition of cost and return elements
• Widen business impact to increase measurable returns

Please join us for this rapid paced session on influencing customer ROI analyses.

Register Now

We’re pleased to announce that our Know it Now Learning Portal has received even more industry recognition, this time winning a coveted Brandon Hall Group 2011 Excellence in Technology Silver Award for Sales Training Software Platform.

“We’re very familiar with Executive Conversation’s approach,” said Brandon Hall Group’s Rachel Ashkin, Chief Operating Officer and Awards Director. “The competencies they develop deliver the types of business results our clients value.”

Entries were judged by a panel of independent senior judges, Brandon Hall Group Sr. Analysts and Executive Leadership based upon the following criteria:

• Product: What was the product’s breakthrough innovation?
• Unique differentiators: What makes the product unique and how does it differ from any competing products?
• Value proposition: What problem does the product solve and/or what need does this product address?
• Measurable results: What are the benefits customers can expect to experience as a result of using this product?

Please see the full News Release for further information about this award and recognition.

Please join us Thursday, January 26, 2012 at 11:30 AM EDT | 8:30 AM PDT | 16:30 PM BST for the next complimentary webinar in our Buyer’s Perspective series.  Register Today

Is gut instinct driving your account planning? Then kick-off 2012 with a CFO’s perspective on what belongs in your account plans.

When account plans are built around the right ingredients, everyone stands to win: Your customer, your company and your personal ROI. This complimentary webinar explores strategies for:

• creating a business filter to validate customer drivers
• executing often overlooked steps early in your process
• positioning outputs for successful implementation.

Think about it, if your customer doesn’t see its business relevance, does it belong in your account plan?

Please join us for this rapid paced session on improving account planning results.

Register Today

Seasoned sellers appreciate that customers may measure business performance any number of ways.  They also invest time to employ the most favorable metrics on individual accounts or deals. Here are 7 approaches that illustrate the breadth of this critical function:

1. Bottom line, top line.
Many people believe business performance is all about the bottom line.  In contrast, seasoned executives and business analysts start with the top line.  Why?  Because they know it’s always harder to grow revenue than cut costs, and that revenue trends best portend future business health.

2. Benchmarks.
One of the best ways to put business performance measures in context – good, bad or ugly – is by employing comparative benchmarks.  For example, performance relative to an industry peer group, or relative to a company’s historical performance.

3. Industry-specific metrics.
Each industry uses a common set of metrics to manage their business.  Such metrics can be found within analyst reports.  For example, Retailers monitor sales per square foot or comparable store sales, whereas Service Providers like AT&T or Comcast will focus on metrics like average revenue per user (ARPU).

4. Company or customer specific. 
Individual companies employ all manner of homegrown measures to compete and differentiate themselves in the market. For example, a technology equipment provider may track the amount of time it takes a customer to install or implement their product.

5. Hard vs. soft metrics.
When estimating ROI, hard metrics, those that can be objectively measured such as total revenue or return rates, are almost always more powerful then soft metrics.  This is because the latter, such as employee morale or brand reputation, are subject to subjective influence and bias.

6. Trends.
Measuring business performance at any given point in time is useful, but measuring performance over longer periods is where real insights are gained.   For example, changes in gross margin over several periods can serve as a key leading indicator to effectively signal future opportunities.

7. By role.
It’s important to recognize that different roles within an organization, or different target contacts within a customer, will track different metrics on their dashboards.  Whereas CFOs closely watch cost of capital and cash flow, in contrast CIOs may focus on a metric such as speed to integrate acquisitions.

Special guest post by Randall Yim, Executive Conversation Consulting Executive

According to a recent Gallup poll, when Americans were asked to rate 25 business and industry sectors, they ranked the computer industry most positively and the federal government the least positively.

The federal government has been near the bottom in recent annual polls, but this is the first time that it ranked dead last. As a former federal official, it is very hard for me to accept that feds are rated below realtors, bankers and lawyers. Conversely, the 72% positive rating for the computer industry is the highest of any industry since Gallup began tracking business sectors in 2001.

The federal government, and federal employees in particular, have been caught in the cross-fire during the heated and ongoing deficit debates. Perhaps the critical roles played by government employees have been better highlighted during the disaster responses to hurricanes and floods and earthquakes, and public opinion will change.

But nonetheless it is important for the feds to track their own performance and not leave it to opinion polls. I am very interested in following the evolution of a new federal website: Performance.gov. Unveiled by the Office of Management & Budget, the new website allows both government employees and their constituents to track progress in 6 main areas: acquisition, financial management, technology, performance improvement, customer service and human resources.

As a federal manager, I followed metrics closely, not solely because of public opinion, but because of the almost direct relationship between achieving metrics and securing sufficient budget share. As sales professionals, you can significantly help your customers by understanding the key metrics that hold them accountable, and aligning your solutions to optimize meeting the targets.

Special guest post by Randall Yim, Executive Conversation Consulting Executive

I hate the term “elevator pitch”. It demeans an extremely valuable skill: the ability to articulate a complex statement clearly and succinctly.

Finding good and bad examples to critically review can be difficult. But the Washington Post recently conducted a reader’s poll contest to determine the best 60-second business pitch.

You can check out the results at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/business/capitalbusiness/pick-the-pitch.html.

Tap your manager of a colleague, and create opportunities to position yourself as the recipient of a pitch; in my view the best way to get better. When you role play to prepare for executive engagements you arrive with confidence and leave with success.

But how come only women made the Post’s finalist list?