Posts Tagged ‘business’
How to Survive an Investor’s Due Diligence
Posted by Jane Adamson on October 6th, 2009
This isn’t a good time to raise capital for your company. But surprisingly, it may be a good time to sell. An August 2009 New York Times article (“As Deal-Making Returns, Midsize Companies Are Seen as Prime Targets” by Brent Bowers) proclaimed “The United States is ripe for a boom in acquisitions of privately held companies.” But can your company survive an investor’s due diligence?
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.
“We have plenty of leads but can’t seem to convert!”
Posted by Jane Adamson on August 4th, 2009
Recognize this sales funnel? I call it “the desperate pipeline” because it’s wide enough to catch any breathing soul who meanders by! You know what it’s like to be caught in one, receiving endless calls and emails because sometime, somewhere, you accidentally crossed a seller’s path.
Don’t be one of those desperate companies. A fat sales funnel has dramatic hidden costs and creates a barrier for consistent, profitable revenue growth. Marketing programs that focus on attracting as many leads as possible are no different from aggressive salespeople who pitch every breathing soul at every trade show, networking meeting and playground.
The solution? Shrink your pipeline!
