Posts Tagged ‘Sales’
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”).
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?
“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!
“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.
