It’s Not WHAT You Do But WHY & HOW You Do It

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It’s Not WHAT You Do But WHY & HOW You Do It

January 27, 2012 in Attitudes & Behaviours, Clarity, Culture, Ethics & Values, Mindful selling

In December 2011 we published The 12 Sales Trends of 2012 and invited readers to vote on what they thought would be the most important trends in sales for this year. ‘It’s not WHAT you do but WHY & HOW you do it’ topped the rankings.

It seems that having a Purpose, the WHY, which is more than just making a profit, is becoming a key focus as businesses, leaders and employees alike seek to find more meaning in their work and each other and most importantly their customers and community.

too much choice

Too much choice on the consumer landscape is now driving people to seek real connections and deeper meaning – a spiritual, psychological connection in their dealing with others if you will. Restlessness is emerging among consumers about who they want to connect with and buy from – they want to simplify and make every moment count. Businesses leaders are coming to realize, slowly, that it’s not WHAT you do that differentiates themselves from their competitors but WHY & HOW you do it. Many, however are still blinded by the Profit motive – the EBIT, especially publicly listed companies conditioned to meet ‘share holder value’. Losing sight of WHY you are in business in the first place and replacing it with Profit only is a very risky strategy.

Having a purpose, defining your WHY factor, encapsulates the very essence of why clients and customers want to associate with a business and how they can align with its values.

With increased consumer choice, people are becoming more business savvy. People are now assessing organisations, through their consumer, supplier, investor, employee and community filters sizing up the real reason and motives for being and doing business.

using a crystal ball to find the why

Despite this public assessment, many organisations still struggle to explain why they exist and how they do what they do, in a way that is easily understood and generates a curiosity to know more. WHY you do what you do and HOW you make a difference must be front and center. In the wake of consumer disquiet at corporate greed, business’ cost management obsession, outsourcing and the move away from product as the focal point, what you do is not enough anymore.

In 2012 if we can’t communicate our story to our employees, customers, prospects, suppliers, investors, media, and the broader community then they simply can’t communicate our story to others or make informed decisions about how to engage with us.

A great example of a company really bringing this concept to life and getting it right is outdoor clothing and equipment company, Patagonia. Here is their reason for being, their purpose, their ‘WHY’:

Our Reason for Being: Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis.
-Patagonia’s Mission Statement

Patagonia grew out of a small company that made tools for climbers. Alpinism remains at the heart of a worldwide business that still makes clothes for climbing – as well as for skiing, snowboarding, surfing, fly fishing, paddling and trail running. These are all silent sports. None requires a motor; none delivers the cheers of a crowd. In each sport, reward comes in the form of hard-won grace and moments of connection between us and nature.

Our values reflect those of a business started by a band of climbers and surfers, and the minimalist style they promoted. The approach we take towards product design demonstrates a bias for simplicity and utility.

For us at Patagonia, a love of wild and beautiful places demands participation in the fight to save them, and to help reverse the steep decline in the overall environmental health of our planet. We donate our time, services and at least 1% for our sales to hundreds of grassroots environmental groups all over the world who work to help reverse the tide.

We know that our business activity – from lighting stores to dyeing shirts – creates pollution as a by-product. So we work steadily to reduce those harms. We use recycled polyester in many of our clothes and only organic, rather than pesticide-intensive, cotton.

Staying true to our core values during thirty-plus years in business has helped us create a company we’re proud to run and work for. And our focus on making the best products possible has brought us success in the marketplace.

engaged employees

Patagonia demonstrates that to engage with employees, customers, investors, media and community you need to work from the heart, not just the head. Pursuing profit at the expense of these other things is shortsighted at best.

How do you create an integrated organisation that engages heart and head? Here are some questions to get you started:

What is your story? How did you come to be in existence?
What do you stand for?
Why do you do what you do?
How do you do what you do?
How do contribute to the greater good?
What are you giving back to your community?
How do you make others feel?

These questions will give you a start but to really make progress, the concept needs wholehearted commitment. Don’t even attempt this process if you’re not willing to be honest about your intentions as a business because your insincerity will be obvious and in today’s world reputation is critical.

With consumers now better educated, techno-savvy and better connected than ever before, the need to articulate WHY you do what you do and HOW you do what you do is critical for differentiating your business in 2012 and beyond.

Remember everybody lives by selling something.

Author: Sue Barrett, MD of www.barrett.com.au

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Athletes Chase Olympic Gold in UK and Business Success Back Home

January 19, 2012 in Attitudes & Behaviours, Sales Skills, Success

It’s an Olympic year and many of our elite athletes are rightly focusing their efforts on the London 2012 Olympic Games. There are a certain number of gold medals on offer and everyone knows their worth in terms of the honour and glory and even more so in terms of ensuing publicity, product endorsements, speaking engagement and the like.

pin the future

However, with limited gold medals available, pure focus on winning one will leave many athletes short-changed if they have nothing in reserve. Smart athletes leave nothing to chance. Just like good sales people and business owners they make sure there is always a contingency plan because they know that pinning your future on a gold medal pay day is putting all your eggs into one basket.

It may surprise you that besides preparing for the Olympic Games, a number of the VIS (Victorian Institute of Sport) elite athletes have been developing their own businesses and are participating in the Barrett VIS Business Education Scholarship Program via the VIS ACE (Athlete Career & Education) Program to sure up their future success.

I’ve had the privilege of being associated with the VIS and the ACE program since 1992. This is where I cut my teeth as a trainer and facilitator before I began making these skills a key part of my career. During this time I’ve met a wide and wonderful range of people, mostly talented elite athletes pursing their dreams as well as the wonderful staff at the VIS, many of whom I now proudly call friends.

As my career and subsequent business evolved I found so many similarities between elite sport and business. I therefore wanted to find a way to continue to work with these athletes as they transitioned from their elite sporting careers to their own business careers. Many don’t win that elusive gold medal but simply by being an elite athlete, have gone on to win a plethora of life lessons. These athletes bring so much to the table when it comes to running a business. They start their businesses with in-built focus, stamina, determination and the courage to have a go.

Similarities of sport and business

It therefore is a great pleasure that after many iterations we have developed and implemented the VIS Barrett Business Education Scholarship Program which was launched in 2010. The program was developed off the back of research conducted by the ACE Program regarding relevance of ACE Services to athletes in different stages of their sport, career and life. This initiative enables athletes to prepare for their life after sport as an entrepreneur, business owner and manager while continuing their training and participation at an elite level of sport. Barrett‘s scholarship initiative is designed to assist athletes who are serious about starting a business or looking to grow their current business and wish to gain access to industry leaders, resources and professional development.

The scholarship program works via Barrett’s partnership with the Victorian Institute of Sport and an annual invitation to VIS athletes to submit their applications for the Barrett Business Education Scholarship Program. Each athlete must already have a business idea or business in development to access the program. Those who are accepted attend a series of workshops across the year to build and test their business ideas. They cover such topics as Building a Business Strategy and Sales & Marketing Plan, Prospecting, Sales Communication, Social Media, Resilience and Sales Neuroscience and begin to apply their new knowledge and skills to their emerging businesses.

At the end of the year, athletes who have successfully taken their business to a commercial reality then proceed to pitch their idea and business plans to the Judging Panel: Anne Marie Harrison, CEO of VIS; Kate Palmer, Chairperson of VIS and CEO of Netball Australia and myself. Under the Scholarship parameters the successful athlete receives one-on-one coaching/mentor sessions with me throughout the following year to further develop their business as well as receive funding from the VIS ACE Program to support the growth of their business.

The standard of the 2011 finalists was extremely high. All three athletes presented well developed and clever business plans. All knew their purpose and reason for being in business; all had compelling messages; all were ready to go to market with actionable go-to-market action plans.

Finalists of the 2011 Barrett Business Education Scholarship Program were:

* Christian Williams (Archery – Australian Rep)
* Sarah Wall (Netball – Vixens / Australian Rep)
* Alli van Omnen (Water polo – Australian Rep)

Each has a compelling story that drives them and each knows where they want to be. It was a very hard decision but the scholarship was awarded to Alli van Omnen who has set up her own Osteopath business called Without Limits. I’ll be coaching Alli this year to help her with her business growth.

So what can we learn from these amazing young people? We can learn heaps.

dedicated bike rider on training

Their dedication to their sporting and business careers is second to none and each is driven to succeed and be their best. It’s a joy to be in company with these people and inspiring to work with them. Their open mindedness, willingness to learn, clarity of purpose and courage to have a go is what I would love to see in everyone.

So how can we take these examples and replicate them in our business world?

Rather than management be the only ones to present their business and sales plans to their teams, I propose that all sales people take a leaf out of these smart athletes’ books and present their go-to-market action plans each year to senior management and their teams. It is a very rewarding experience and develops a whole range of skills that come in very handy every day i.e. public speaking and presenting, business thinking and planning, strategising, collaborating and so on. Applying ourselves this way will bring home the gold and business success.

Sport is a great teacher especially when you are actively involved. It tests you, challenges you and makes you stand up and go for it even when all you want to do is lie down. The synergies between sport and selling are many as I mentioned. So it is a great honour to bring the two together in the Barrett Business Education Scholarship Program.

We wish all the VIS athletes and all of our Australian Representatives great success at the London 2012 Olympics.

Remember everybody lives by selling something.

Author: Sue Barrett, MD of www.barrett.com.au

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Make 2012 The Best Year Yet – Put Yourself First!

December 21, 2011 in Assessments, Attitudes & Behaviours, Coaching, Communication, Success, Teamwork

As we all come sailing in from the rather stormy seas of 2011 for a brief rest in a safe harbour we can chose to look back and reflect on what has happened in 2011; the challenges, mistakes, triumphs and lessons learned. Although reflection is very important we must not forget to take time to rest, relax and recharge before we look forward and dream about the future and what it holds for us.

Overwhelmed

2011 may have left you feeling overwhelmed running from one task to the other never stopping to rest and recoup. If you can take time to just forget the business world for a while and instead just ‘be in the moment’ enjoying your time with friends and family and getting some well deserved R&R you will be in a position to put your best foot forward in 2012. If you’re not taking leave you may find the quietness that can accompany this time of the year can give you space to reflect, recoup and recharge for 2012.

Either way, why not consider giving yourself a gift for Christmas this year.

Pick up and play that musical instrument you’ve been meaning to play, do that yoga class, go for a swim at your local pool or enjoy the rush of the waves at a nearby surf beach, take an early morning walk in the park, have a picnic in a beautiful botanical garden, ski down a snow covered mountain, ride a horse, paint a picture and don’t forget everyone is an artist, tell jokes to each other and laugh out loud for real, forge a new friendship, rekindle an old friendship, hug someone you love and tell them how much they mean to you, give and receive 20 hugs a day and see what happens, get a massage or two, drink clean water, take a nap under a tree on a warm day, look into a flower and really see what is in there, do some gardening and pretend the weeding is removing all the debris from your year, be still and listen to the sounds of nature, go for ride on the Puffing Billy sitting on the ledge with your legs hanging out and remember what it is like being a child again, hold hands with your partner/ children/ friend/ parent/ sibling, say ‘I love you’ to as many people as you can and especially to yourself.

walk on the beach

Taking time out to rest and relax is good for our brain and allows us to gain a clear perspective on things, especially those things that are important to us.

Whatever you choose to do, we would just like to say thank you for your loyal readership, support and your endorsement of Barrett. Your support of our philosophy that ‘selling is everybody’s business and everybody lives by selling something‘ is wonderful and we’re seeing a growing body of support across individuals and businesses as they make the transition into the new century.

We have connected with many people over this year, some only via this blog and other publications as well as Twitter, Linkedin and Facebook, and others in much more personal ways via our coaching, training, consulting, assessments, public speaking, events, etc. However we have connected with each other we hope that we’ve listened to you and exchanged something of value and that in some small way you’re better at the things that matter to you for having met us.

2012 holds a lot in store for us all and we need to have our reserves fully stocked for the journey ahead. We also need to promise ourselves to make sure that we make regular time for these lovely activities throughout the year ahead because they nourish us and keep us connected to what is important and this is our cherished relationships with each other. If we take care of ourselves we’re able to listen more effectively and exchange something of value with each other more often, and wouldn’t that be nice?

At Barrett we’re preparing for a phenomenal year in 2012 and are very excited about what we have in store for you all. I would also like to thank my fantastic team at Barrett and our Partners who are really committed to our vision to positively transform the culture, capability and continuous learning of leaders and teams by developing sales driven organisations that are equipped for the 21st Century.

So season’s greetings to you, your families and teams and may 2012 be the best year ever for us all.

Remember everybody lives by selling something.

Author: Sue Barrett, MD of www.barrett.com.au

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Why LinkedIn Invitations Need To Be Purposeful

December 14, 2011 in Attitudes & Behaviours, Communication, Social Media

LinkedIn is about creating and nurturing relationships. It’s a marvelous tool for researching and connecting with people and helps you forge genuine relationships based on substance and value.

I’ve been on LinkedIn for many years now and have been steadily growing my network. I only connect with people I know personally or have connected with via an event or activity. As much as I am for prospecting and building new networks and business I draw the line at sending out impersonal LinekdIn requests, random or otherwise to people that I don’t know.

LinkedIN Standard Invite

So why do so many people send out LinkedIn invitations with no explanation as to why they want to connect with you, no personalised note introducing themselves and no obvious reason for linking in?

In the last six months I have received more LinkedIn requests from people I don’t know with the standard line, “I’d like to add you to my professional network.” They neglect to provide any explanation or valid business reason (VBR) for connecting with me.

I’m at a loss to explain this lazy and careless approach. My view of this practice is that it appears insincere and grasping for business. On the other hand, a friend of mine says he accepts these random invitations to grow his database. He doesn’t send them himself because he agrees it seems unprofessional, but happily accepts invites from those he doesn’t know. While I see his point of view, I’m not convinced it’s worthwhile. Many people I speak to are expressing similar frustrations with impersonal LinkedIn requests. Is frustration of the recipient really the aim? In my opinion, sending impersonal LinkedIn invitations is the equivalent of spam.

I treat LinkedIn invitations like prospecting calls. How you position yourself is very important. You need to think about why you want to contact and connect with that person and develop a Valid Business Reason (VBR). A VBR must be meaningful and relevant to the LinkedIn contact. It should be a reason why the LinkedIn contact should want to speak to you further. It must be of value and important to the LinkedIn contact and answer the What’s In It For Me (WII-FM) if they connect with you.

If I contact anyone I do not know via LinkedIn it would be with a well thought out message first seeking permission to speak with them to ascertain if it would be beneficial for us to connect/ meet/ work together.

So how do you deal with these potentially unsolicited LinkedIn invitations?

Benefit of Social Networking

I have developed a strategy to test how genuine people are that ask to connect with me. Firstly I look at each person’s profile to see if I do know them and if I can see some sort of benefit from our connecting. Secondly I send out the following message after I have received the “I’d like to add you to my professional network.” invitation.

Hi XXXX
Thank you for your invitation. I must apologise if we have met before however I am not sure where I know you from. Are you able to let me know how we are connected and how you think we would both benefit from our shared association?

Cheers Sue

It is very interesting what happens next. One of 4 things usually occurs:

I never receive a response and I delete the invitation.
I receive a detailed reply from the person stating how they know me and how they would like to benefit from our association. I usually accept the request if everything seems ok.
I receive an apology that they may have made a mistake.
I receive a ‘snippy’ or ‘hurt’ reply, upset that I would actually question their invitation.

I do not take my LinkedIn invitations and connections lightly. In the earlier days I probably accepted more LinkedIn invitations from people I didn’t really know. Today, however I see much more value in developing a real network of contacts who are seeking mutually beneficial outcomes and support from their peers. Like any relationship, LinkedIn relationships have to start somewhere. So if you are thinking of using the festive season to build your LinkedIn network, consider starting off a new relationship on the right note, keeping in mind that you never get a second chance to make a good first impression.

Remember everybody lives by selling something.

Author: Sue Barrett, MD of www.barrett.com.au

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Getting Personal Or Time To Get Personal

December 8, 2011 in Attitudes & Behaviours, Communication, Customer Service, Sales Relationships

‘Getting Personal’ was voted as the Number 12 Sales Trends for 2011. Despite the advances in technology and the rise of the Internet, customers still want personal and single contact satisfaction. Contrary to some pundits who believe the role of salespeople is becoming obsolete with the proliferation of Internet and mobile technology, effective sales professionals and a personal approach to selling remains important to successful business this year and in the years to come.

Smart salespeople are offloading functional and transactional activities to better concentrate on the personal aspects of selling, including understanding the customer’s business and providing more personalised service. Our client surveys show customers who know their salesperson by name are 90% more likely to stay loyal!

But it’s more than just being ‘nice’ or friendly. Customers do like “nice” but they want more. Good salespeople recognise that customers buy from people they TRUST and that TRUST supersedes LIKE. Sure it helps to be likable but a buyer is looking for someone they can trust and work with over time.

If you think it’s a simple walk in, present your product and walk away…think again. Companies with a purely transactional mindset “walk-in-walk-out” mentality are finding it harder to sell and stay in business.

turnover of sales people

Companies with large turnover or salespeople with short tenures are in a difficult position to achieve customer familiarity and loyalty. One example is the business banking sector, especially in the SME business space. Here, there seems to be a revolving door policy when it comes to business bankers and relationship managers. The moment you think you have secured a good business banker, they’re gone and replaced with a new one and you find yourself starting over, explaining your business all over again. This presents a real problem for SME’s, especially in big cities. I hear many complaints from SME business owners about their frustration at the lack of care or interest shown by business banking. The only exception I can see in this are the business bankers living and working in regional and rural Australia. These guys seem to be more dedicated and committed. Their jobs are entwined with their lifestyle choice and they are genuinely part of the communities they work with. Their relationships extend beyond their jobs and they “get personal” with the people they service.

By contrast business bankers in the capital cities are dime a dozen and don’t have to have interest in you because they can disappear into the crowd never really having to practice what they preach. In short big city business banking is impersonal and simply not as effective. This lack of a personal approach means city based SMEs are missing out.

Everybody lives by servicing someone

The banks and other “transactional” based businesses are missing the fact that the customer wants to work with someone who will add tangible value to their business or life. These businesses need to start interacting strategically with their customers; offer beneficial solutions based on value and be consultative (listen and assist beyond the product).

Almost every business is now in the service industry. Consultants, medical practitioners, professional services firms, the list is endless. Any business that sells expertise and time knows the importance of working to maintain healthy relationships with their clients because if they don’t bill anything they don’t earn anything.

Product business, if they are to maintain their margins and build value in their client relationships beyond the product need to develop a ‘service business’ mindset and get personal.

I know what I prefer. The business bankers I’ve met in regional and rural Australia are by and large decent people, who are genuine and interested in people beyond their jobs. Personally, I’d love to receive the regional and rural business banker approach in our big cities. What a difference that could make on all levels.

Getting Personal is so much more

Getting personal is more than just showing up and being pleasant. “Getting personal” is about being personable, substantial, and authentic and applying these traits with your knowledge, experience, skills, creative problem solving and business acumen.

To “get personal”, you need to work with your client with the intention of delivering results and caring about the outcome. Buy in to the possibility of making a difference to your clients’ businesses and personal lives and great things can happen. Getting personal is not some soppy, ‘wet’ idea, it’s what’s at the heart of all genuine relationships.

Remember everybody lives by selling something.

Author: Sue Barrett, MD of www.barrett.com.au

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