Standing up to the Rupert Murdoch’s in Your Business
Filed under: Business Growth, Profitable Growth, Uncategorized
As business owners, we know that no one can intimidate us or our firms, right? But if the prime minister of England can be wiretapped while learning of his child’s cystic fibrosis, and his entire government can be bullied by a single media company, what recourse do we have we when we are intimidated?
How do we “Davids” face the “Goliaths” in our businesses? If you face bullies in the form of customers, investors, vendors, or partners, what can you do? When negotiations with bullies become pointless, here are four logical actions you can take to get out from under their thumbs:
- Create alternatives: No resource (people, money, expertise, or energy) is irreplaceable when you discard your assumptions.
- Pay the cost of just walking away: Realize that you can recreate what you have lost and more the sooner you start over.
- Expose your bullies: Go public with their malpractice or take it to legal and any other authorities they respect.
- Don’t let yourself get screwed in the same way again: Understand how and why you got taken and don’t ever make the same mistake again.
As the News Corp. scandal threatens to spread to U.S. shores and to violate our privacy, it’s clear that power, technology and desperation will further encourage bullies everywhere. If you’ve been wronged, stand up with your integrity, confidence and righteous indignation and then take the right steps to never again put yourself in the same position.
Is Your Sales or Marketing Manager Too Big For His Britches?
Filed under: Business Growth, Profitable Growth, Top Line Growth, Uncategorized
The marketing manager of a client of mine recently told me, “My reps and I already sell everything our customers and prospects will ever buy.”
“How about offering your widgets to younger buyers who don’t buy through distributors?” I asked.
“I hate younger buyers, and so do my reps,” he replied.
Is your firm stifled by your sales/marketing leader’s comfort zone?
Your firm is stifled IF your sales and marketing manager ONLY:
- Focuses on the traditional sales channels he or she knows and works with, but won’t understand or consider the use of other channels like direct mail, social meet ups or educating key influencers so they become referral sources.
- Understands how to service existing buyers through long-term relationships, but not with emerging buyers or buying departments within a company.
- Complains about customers, but is unwilling to identify and respond to emerging customer needs.
- Blames the economy, the competition or customers for why sales aren’t up, despite competitors who are doing better.
- Believes in his own experience and is unwilling to let other people evaluate or provide objective market feedback.
- Focuses on old-school tactics, like creating brochures or relying on sales people to reach to new markets and prospects.
In sum, a great sales and marketing manager is intellectually curious, loves uncovering and meeting the emerging needs of existing customers and always remains open to prospecting for new customers with interesting and different needs.
How does your sales and marketing manager stack up?
