Author Archive - Rick McPartlin
Thought Leadership is a Business Strategy
Posted by Rick McPartlin on January 5th, 2010
Thought leadership is often bandied about as if it’s a marketing campaign. But thought leadership is a business strategy. A thought leader must LEAD!
How To Fix A BOTW Business Model
Posted by Rick McPartlin on November 3rd, 2009
It’s strategic planning and budgeting season. The end of a difficult 2009 and possibly a new beginning for your business. What are you thinking about doing differently next year? Are you setting more ambitious revenue goals, or are you trying to slash costs as much as humanly possible? Are you launching a new product or service, or are you contracting your offerings? Will you fix small nagging problems, or will you reinvent your business model?
In this post, I’ll address your business model and how you can change it this next year to evolve from Best of the Worst (“BOTW”) to Best of the Best (“BOTB”).
Are You a “Best of the Worst” Company?
Posted by Rick McPartlin on September 1st, 2009
Lately I’ve been talking with a lot of CEOs about a concept I call “Best of the Worst” (BOTW). The term is harsh, but many executives quickly realize that yes, their organizations have a lot in common with BOTW companies like, say, GM.
In boom times, BOTW companies are enormously confident in and proud of their performance. They’re meeting Wall Street’s projections and their internal short-term metrics. They think they’re invaluable to their customers and are immune to the whims of the market. In other words, they think they’re doing everything right.
But then the environment changes. The market sours, the economy tanks, new competitors show up, legislation kicks in, or some other external variable shifts. Sales and profits plummet.
What do BOTW companies do? They blame these uncontrollable external variables for their woes. Then they just try to survive until the boom times return.
“Why can’t we hire a VP Sales who can deliver?”
Posted by Rick McPartlin on July 7th, 2009
Last month, Jane wrote “I’m lying awake worrying about sales,” which addressed three late-night revenue-related stresses many CEOs face, including “Is my sales manager doing a good job?” and “Is my star salesperson going to quit?” This month, I’m tackling a related issue — turnover in the VP Sales role.
A lot of CEOs share with me their frustration over this painful situation. “We need a sales leader who can build our team, lead us into the market and close business,” they say. “I’ve spent a million dollars hiring, firing, and starting over. How can I stop the churn and hire someone who will deliver?”
Here’s the problem: A great sales VP won’t accept a job where there is no revenue generation strategy, infrastructure or organizational alignment. Top people know that this chaos impedes their success, and they can spot issues a mile away.
Even if they do join a chaotic company, great sales leaders eventually find themselves in lose-lose situations at exactly the time you need their expertise most. They take the blame for organizational problems and leave you to start the vicious cycle again.
