Christien Louviere

Jun14

Next Big Chance in CRM

Posted at 9:47 AM • View Comments

Last week, I attended Merkle’s impressive CRM Super Bowl (aka CRM Executive Summit) in SoBe. Having worked with Merkle for just over a year now, I am always impressed with the strategies and tools they bring to the table for their clients.

2 common themes peppered throughout the conference were that this is the year that mobile and SaaS CRM platforms will take off. Barry Judge, CMO of Best Buy, emphasized that the next 12 months would be the time that mobile hit. I feel like I’ve heard that line for at least the past seven years. With 2+ million iPads sold, the new iPhone 4, increased Android (Froyo) handsets and the upcoming release of Blackberry OS 6, it’s hard not to be wide-eyed at all the potential money making opportunities in mobile; however, there is still too much fragmentation amongst the market to scale at the level experts preach mobile hitting. I don’t think 2010 will be the year mobile CRM climaxes…not even close.

SaaS CRM platforms are out in full force (I work for SaaS provider Dukky). It really is amazing to see how the cloud has allowed companies to focus on niche CRM SaaS platforms. Brands are starting to become more comfortable with having their valuable data run on the cloud enabling them to cash in on the speed and flexibility of running on the cloud. Just look at the recent news about Enterprise 2.0 company Jive.

The next big thing will be technology that allows brands to channel all of this data into a few measurable and useful results. It’s uncanny that we have all this individual user data, but brands are still marketing to them as mass demographics. I don’t think the 30-second spot is dead (or the other traditional formats); but the decision makers are in denial about their business models. Agencies and consultancies that focus on this change are going to be the Mad Men of the new generation.

Thoughts?

May24

Social Media in the 1870s

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I’ve been intrigued with History Channel’s recent product America: The Story of Us. Last night, I caught up with my DVR to watch Episode 6 (Heartland). One entrepreneurial story covered was that of R.W. Sears. It obviously struck me from an entrepreneurial aspect; but it really dawned on me that in the 100+ years of advertising & direct response marketing innovations we have undergone, we are in the exact same spot from which we began in the 1870s. The quick story on Sears:

Once the four standard time zones were created (reduced from 8,000!), Sears bought a handful of unwanted pocket watches and through the use of Morse Code sold them to other train station attendants using the trains to make deliveries. The next year he expanded his product offerings by getting products to farmers and their families in the Midwest that had limited access to stores for products such as bicycles, sewing machines and even automobiles. At its maximum, the catalog was over 700 pages! People ordered what they needed and received it in a relatively timely manner. Less than 20 years later, he was fulfilling 30,000+ orders per day.

So how have we not evolved in over 100 years of direct marketing?

Big brands are freaking out and having to work harder than ever for customer loyalty because customers are back in control with word-of-mouth discourse that can be released to thousands of people on impulse. That impulse is very real and very measurable. Customers tell brands what they want and not the other way around. When I think about it, the time of Mad Men (1950s) to let’s say 2000 were really an anomaly in our nation’s history with regards to advertisements. Brands used to push and tell people what is popular. The people are back in control of their buying habits.

The only difference between now and the 1870’s is that the scope of access has dramatically increased. I can now go to Google to find my favorite sewing machine* at the lowest price and then virtually truck on over to Facebook to instantly discuss my potential purchase with thousands of my sewing buddies*. Relatively soon, I will use my Android-based GoogleTV to purchase my favorite advertised sewing machine* (based on my Facebook viewing habits) at its lowest price in the middle of my favorite History Channel show.

*Disclaimer: I do not sew! That is all.

Mar30

Leadership Video Toolbox…BE PART OF IT!!!

Posted at 1:28 PM • View Comments

HELP: CALL FOR VIDEOS ON LEADERSHIP!!

Background: I’m currently working a on video blog for my MBA Leadership class. The project is called a “Leadership Toolbox.” The professor wants us to create a “toolbox” that future leaders can refer to for guidance. My idea for the toolbox is to create a video blog that has individuals whom I see as leaders spend 30 to 60 seconds on the one of the 21 leadership qualities discussed in the book by John Maxwell “The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader.” It’s simple to do. Pick one of the 21 Leadership Qualities and send me your 30-60 second video commentary about that topic.

In the past, this project has been a static one. I want to use the the collective minds to create and grow a living, breathing toolbox for myself and others. I plan to continue growing this toolbox long after my class has been concluded. But, I need your help now!

Directions: The video can simply be recorded with a webcam and shouldn’t take more than 5 minutes of your time. If you need help recording it, just let me know as I have several methods for doing this. Don’t worry about editing it. I’ll do that. Just film it. Please let me know if you have any questions, concerns or ideas on how to start. You can email the video to me; or if you use Dropbox, let me know, and I’ll setup a shared folder between the two of us. (You can sign-up for Dropbox free here)

The final video blog will be located here: CLouvi’s Leadership Toolkit (Note: the current videos are just placeholders).

Timeline: Before Monday, April 12, 2010

21 Indispensable Qualities: Character, Charisma, Commitment, Communication, Competence, Discernment, Focus, Generosity, Initiative, Listening, Passion, Positive Attitude, Problem Solving, Relationships, Responsibility, Security, Self-Discipline, Servanthood, Teachability, Vision Here is a 21 Indispensalbe Leader Qualities Summary that overviews each chapter.

Extra: If you’d like me to include any links to your blog, LinkedIn profile, bio, etc, please let me know and I’ll be sure to include it online.

Great thanks to all the people have submitted videos thus far! Special thanks to Liz Philips for the suggestion to crowdsource this project.

Feb5

10 Reasons to Bet on the Saints to Win Super Bowl XLIV

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The New Orleans Saints and the Indianapolis Colts will play for NFL supremacy in Super Bowl XLIV on Sunday, February 7^th, 2010. All the “experts” are picking the Colts purely based on Peyton Manning’s mastery of the game. Mastery may be an understatement as he is so good that his name may one day become a verb in football vernacular. No one searches the Internet anymore because they “Google” it. The golf world had to “Tiger Proof” courses to level the field. Future NFL quarterbacks will one day learn how to “Peytonize” their play.

But, Manning hasn’t been canonized yet; and I have yet to see any real hard stats on why the Colts are going to beat the Saints. I continually hear that they tore apart the #1 ranked defense in the NY Jets. Well, hell, just give the Colts the trophy now. Read the top 10 below to see how irrelevant that stat is.

Since I have seen very few numbers provided as to why the Saints will lose, I’m going to provide you with 10 hard statistics that prove why the Saints have a fighting chance to win Super Bowl XLIV.

First…Numbers That Cancel Out

#9 & #18: As expected, most of the talk about Super Bowl XLIV has been built-up around the quarterbacks playing on Sunday. Trying to compare these two is like splitting hairs. Drew Brees and Peyton Manning lead the NFL in touchdowns with 122 each since 2006. For the 2009 season, both had stellar passing percentages with Brees slightly ahead at 70.6 (NFL Record) and Manning at 68.8. Brees threw 34 touchdowns to Manning’s 33. Manning threw 16 interceptions to Bress’ 11. Brees was the highest rated passer at 109.6. Manning was 6^th at 99.9. The bottom line is that you will see the top two quarterbacks in the game today play on Sunday. Regardless of allegiance, what a treat!!

5: Football games are won in the trenches. The Colts and Saints are very evenly matched on their offensive lines. Both are ranked in the top 5 in sacks allowed (Colts 13 / Saints 20) & hits on the QB (Colts 44 / Saints 52). Neither offensive line is legendary, but they have stellar leaders that possess great internal clocks and know how to move in/out of pocket.

34: Receiving TDs – Both the Saints & Colts are tied for 1^st w/ 34 (Vikings also had 34).

#1: The most overrated stat I’ve heard is the Colts beat the NFL’s best defense already, which in 2009 was the Jets. The pedestrian logic is that since Peyton tore up the #1 ranked Jets’ defense in the AFC Championship, then the Saints are doomed as they are ranked #25. The only one stat used to declare the best defense in the NFL is yards per game allowed. Of the top 10 teams in this category, 4 did not make the playoffs and the other 6 have been knocked out already. The Colts rank 18^th giving up 15 yards less per game than the Saints.

Now…10 Stats That Back the Saints to Win SB XLIV

0: The number of kick-off Returns of 40+ yards the Colts have made, which ranks them at 28^th. The Saints are ranked 4^th with 5 on the season. Both teams are about even on kickoff touchback percentage, so it could be a big kick-off return that gives either Brees or Manning the edge they need.

3: The Saints defense has beaten 3 more Super Bowl tested quarterbacks than the Colts have. The 5 quarterbacks the Saints played are E. Manning, Delhomme, Brady, Warner & Farve. The Colts have only beaten 2 (Warner, Brady). Combined, those 5 quarterbacks have 11 Super Bowl starting appearances and 6 championship rings. In contrast, the Colts opponents have 7 appearances with 4 rings.

4.5: The Saints running backs are just better than the Colts as they are ranked 5^th in team rushing with 4.5 yards/carry. The Colts are ranked 31^st with 1 full yard less per carry (3.5). The Saints are a much more balanced team as they accomplished that stellar mark on 812 more rushing attempts than the Colts. Ironically, the Jets, whom the Colts beat, also had 4.5 yards/carry.

…so why will the Saints fare better?…The Jets were a 1-trick pony (no pun intended)…

8.3: The Saints are ranked 3^rd for number of passing yards per attempt at 8.3. The Jets were ranked 31^st with 6.6. The Colts place 10^th at 7.7.

11: The Saints are ranked 3^rd in turnover margin at +11. The Colts are 14^th at +2.

21: The number of rushing TDs by the Saints, which ranks them 3^rd in the NFL. The Colts are 13^th with 16 rushing TDs. This difference of 5 will prove to be relevant since the both teams are near even in the passing game.

31.9: The Saints are ranked 1^st with 31.9 points per game (PPG). The Colts are ranked 7^th with 26. (Vikings 2^nd 29.4 / Jets 17^th 21.8)

32: The Colts rushing attack is ranked dead last with 1,294 yards. As a team, the Saints are ranked 6^th in rushing with 2,106 yards.

39: The Saints are ranked 2^nd in total takeaways with 39. The Colts are ranked 18^th with 26. The Saints defense is so hawkish that it caused the Minnesota Vikings to turn the ball over 5 times. If the Saints had recovered every turnover, then they would have had 9 on the day. Until the NFC Championship, the Vikings had turned the ball over no more than 2 times all season.

889: Total defensive penalty yards racked up by the Colts, which is good for 24^th place. The Saints finished 9^th with 717. It will be interesting to see if the refs pay special attention to the “late” hits on Peyton seeing how the Saints have already roughed up Warner and Farve to this point.

A Few Extra Points…

8: The Saints are ranked 1^st in defensive touchdowns with 8. The Colts are tied with several teams in 16^th place with 2.

Rushing: Only 2 Saints (Bell, Thomas) have rushed for more than 100 yards this season. No Colt has rushed for more than 80 yards this season.

SB Teams That Were Given No Shot: 2008: New York Giants 17, New England Patriots 14…2003 Bucs 48, Raiders 21… 2002: Patriots 20, Rams 17. … 1998: Denver Broncos 31, Green Bay Packers 24. … 1970: Kansas City Chiefs 23, Vikings 7. … 1969: New York Jets 16, Baltimore Colts 7.

Intangible: I believe the Saints are collectively playing with higher sense of purpose than their counterparts. The Super Bowl trophy is named after Vince Lombardi and he once said, “Success demands singleness of purpose.”

Prediction: Saints 38 Colts 34

Gene Wojciechowski’s Take On the Colts Winning

Dec8

The 4-Letter Word Gen-Y Can’t Stand

Posted at 7:02 AM • View Comments

Hell's Kitchen

“If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.” – Harry S. Truman

Do you want to be the best in your field?

People are inherently good, which in turn makes them dishonest because everyone walks on eggshells today for fear they might offend someone. The hypersensitivity of my generation (Y) has made it even worse. Criticism is seen as a four-letter word; but if you want to be the best at what you do, then you better learn to ask for criticism, accept it and then fix it.

Real Coaching

I remember during my prime athletic days when everyone would tell me what a great job I had done, regardless of my performance quality; and I’d always take it with a huge grain of salt. I learned quickly not to read the papers (blogs weren’t relevant yet) because they can only see 2 sides to any issue. Plus, they only offer problems and never solutions. Until college, the only person that I always felt gave me a real assessment of my performance was my dad. The great thing about it is that he never offered it to me. If I asked (which I always did), then he told me what he thought.

When I was first invited to be an author on Brazen Careerist, I was fortunate enough to get some 1-on-1 coaching with Penelope Trunk. She told me straight up that the only people that care what you write about are your family and the person you’re currently sleeping with. She was right because now I have people that write to me from all over the country.

While at LSU, I was fortunate enough to spend time playing under Nick Saban. Saban’s reputation is not a sparkling one, but I hold immense respect for him because I learned a great deal about my mental toughness. I was a back-up kicker on a field of 21 future NFL draft picks, and he tore into me with the same fervor that he did all the others. At the end of the day, he made me better.

Driven

Most reading this blog are hungry people, but sometimes you need to get out of your own head and gain some perspective. Everyone sees a performance in their own way, so an outsider’s view should always be welcomed. Good coaches and critics are hard to find, but if you want to rise above the rest in life, then you need to find a few. They’ll be honest with you.

Photo: tdub303 via flickr

Dec3

3 Vital Tools for Honest Communication

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stopcollaborateandlisten

So now you have your Innovation Dream Team. Are you being as effective as possible using your current tools to communicate and collaborate with your team?

I’ve written about the importance of communication when it comes to change management and/or innovation. Below, I’ve listed some of the tools that I use because of their ease and effectiveness.

Google Talk – I send very little email because it’s time consuming and too formal for the majority of conversations. Aside from instant messaging, the best features of Google Talk are: On / Off-the-Record Chatting, Free Voice and Video Chat & Instant File Transfers. Also, Google Talk has mobile apps for the most popular mobile OSes including iPhone, Blackberry and of course Android. If your group doesn’t have Gmail accounts, then you can easily sign up for one.
Basecamp – 37signals has a nice package of collaborative tools that are perfect for any organization from bootstrapped to venture funded. Basecamp is their project management platform. It allows you to manage multiple projects, assign certain users to certain projects and milestones. The dashboard provides an easy to follow snapshot of everything that is going on within a project. My favorite part is that I can subscribe via RSS or email to the reminders, so I always know where everyone stands.
Food / Drinks – Not “hi-tech,” but I’m a firm believer in getting away from my static habitat to increase productivity. With my laptop and a mobile phone, there is nothing I can’t get done from a coffee shop that I can’t get done from my office. Besides a change of scenery, it does 2 important things for my teams and me: 1) It provides an opportunity to talk one-on-one with team members about their concerns and/or accomplishments. People like to be known other than a name on a screen and this helps achieve buy-in. 2) Change management requires innovation and innovation requires new perspectives. A change of scenery always stirs my creative juices simply by having new surroundings.

What other tools are vital to your organization’s success?

Photo: liz burnunzio via flikr

Dec2

Change Management: 5 Ways to Be a Successful Leader & Innovator

Posted at 7:30 AM • View Comments

No Fear from the Lion

“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.” – Charles Darwin

How do you lead innovation in an environment that is resistant to change?

Unless you work in a zoo or some place where people are the minority, then you will face resistance to change because people are inherently resistant to it. Innovation leaders understand how to manage change when people want to run from it.

I’ve been successful at several companies where innovation is a necessity; and the people inside them that survive adapt to the change that naturally comes from innovation. Some of my companies have changed their business model every quarter, month and even every week, so it becomes a necessity that your team adapt to change that naturally occurs from innovation in order to survive. The need for speed in change management varies from start-ups to corporations; however, these 5 factors will ensure successful change management regardless of size:

Endorsements – Get true sponsorship for your idea from the top to the down. If you’re serious about your idea, then don’t settle for simply getting one or two sponsors. Make sure you have sponsorship from all the people that will be required to make the idea work. Always be prepared to sell your idea by showing its immediate benefits. If you are the “top dog,” then it’s your job to make sure the people you bring on to help you buy-in to your idea.
Honest Communication – Typically, honest communication relates to something that you could read about in the self-help aisle. As far as change management is concerned, it relates to deadlines, realistic expectations and real needs. The success of innovation will come if communication is always open and timely. Priorities are constantly shifting inside of innovation endeavors, so deadlines are in constant flux. The person that doesn’t provide a realistic deadline will commit the crime not the person that has to change it.
Employee Investment – A simple concept…but usually the hardest for leaders to execute. Let people show-off their strengths by taking over responsibility for their parts of the project. Trust them to succeed, and they (and you) will shine.
Change Agents – #4 won’t happen without #3 happening first. The change agents are the ones that become the internal champions for your idea. Once they buy-in, they will become the best PR ever because they have true blood invested. In essence, they should become mini-yous.
Culture – You either have it or you don’t. And if you don’t, it will make your job harder; but it’s crucial to the long-term success of your innovations. Culture is not something that can simply be created overnight. Culture takes time to grow. Steps 1 – 4 will lay the groundwork for your culture change and at the same time providing a blue print for a successful change management strategy.

Photo: ucumari via flickr

Jun29

5 Things I Learned at IRCE

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dukky_logo

I spent a few days at the Internet Retailer Conference and Exhibition last week in Boston on behalf of Dukky. Despite the gloomy economy and the shrinking budgets of consumers and marketers alike, enthusiasm about the future of e-commerce buzzed. It seems we’re on the brink of a new frontier – thanks to emerging mobile technologies, wide adoption of social networking sites and a new consumer sentiment that prizes transparency and responsibility.

Here are the five most important e-commerce concepts I either learned (or remembered) while at IRCE:

1) Look at the mobile commerce space as the web of the early 90s: Mobile is changing the world. From the riots in Iran to the coupons in your local grocery store, mobile devices are changing the way we communicate, make purchases, spend our “free time.” Smart phones are 13% of the market now and growing to 38% in 2013. A lot more innovation is to come.

2) Focus on connecting consumers with your brand not your products: Under Armour’s vice president of e-commerce Mark Kuhns said their social media strategy is focused on creating a connection in their customers lives rather than just selling them stuff. It’s working.

3) Email, social & search should be integral in customer acquisition: Customers are spending more and more of their time online. You need to go out and find them there. You’ll lose them if you don’t.

4) Many companies spoke about getting ready for the recovery instead of wading in the recession: Now is the time to innovate – it’s not the time to hole up and hide. We wrote more about innovation is key to keeping your marketing job earlier this month.

5) Be fiercely competitive and don’t be afraid to take ideas from the bigger players: Amazon is a great example – they started by just selling books and music, now they sell just about everything.
What are your thoughts on e-retail on today’s econcomy?

Taken from my post on Dukky

Mar16

How to Turn Nike Shox Into Manolos

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The response to my Nike Shox Wedding Contest and your chance to win $50 has been pretty impressive so far.

The Back-story…

About 6 months ago while discussing wedding plans with my fiancée, I tried to convince her that my groomsmen and I should be able to wear customized Nike Shox as our shoes for the wedding. Somewhat of a debate ensued.

“It will look horrible!” she playfully exclaimed.
“Jerry Seinfeld did it!” I anxiously responded.
“You’re not him!” she responded as if she were my mother.
“I’ll make sure all the Shox match the vests.”
“No, it the worst idea ever!” she exclaimed in her customary, enthusiastic and playful 5-year old like pitch.

At that point, I proceeded to work on her friends, thinking that she might seriously consider it if it had some strong XX chromosome backing. Outside of one that works for an ad agency, the idea never picked up steam; but I did manage to help the girls burn off lots of calories through laughing.

Fast Forward…

Two weekends ago, my fiancée informed me that she had spent $300 on her wedding shoes.

And of course, being made up of XX chromosomes, she can’t help but brag about the “deal” she received, especially since the deal is related to shoes. This price phenomenon is one of those female conversation starters that I’ve never quite figured out, and I consider my female knowledge slightly above average. Anyway, she saved some $600 on the “Something Blue” Manolo Blahniks that Carrie Bradshaw wears in the Sex and the City Movie. If I was a girl, I would have jumped up, hugged her, hit her with a pillow, kissed her and then started to…well, you know all that stuff that Cinemax says that women do when men aren’t around. Unfortunately for both of us, the conversation took more of a logical approach.

“Wait! You get to wear blue shoes with your white (ivory) dress, but I can’t wear my NikeID Shox?” I asked with sarcastic inquiry.
“But, baby,” she said pleadingly. “They’ll look terrible; and besides, no one will be able to see my shoes,” she said hesitantly as if she knew what my next move was.
“Then, whyyyyyy are we spending $300 on shoes that no one will see?” I responded in typical guy fashion I assume.
I then heard a voice from above whisper to me, “Well played sir.”

I’m not really sure what happened next because I think I mentally blacked out from my strategically placed response; but when I regained consciousness she was telling me about something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue. The part about blue sounded made-up to me, but I didn’t care because she informed me that if I wanted to wear Nike Shox to the reception only then I could do so. Victory!! A series of questions ensued with the only stipulation being that she gets the final say-so.

The Result

After I declared victory, I told her that I would put my social media skills to the test to help choose the colors of my new shoes; thus, we now we have the Nike Shox Wedding Contest. The goals of the contest are simply to illustrate how the various aspects of social media can be used to create a successful marketing campaign, show how easy it can be to create personal involvement in a brand movement, get people to use their creative talents and for me (and the groomsmen) to be comfortable on my wedding day.

Within 24 hours, I had hits on my site from over 10 countries and a few from Nike’s corporate headquarters. The contest has a little over 2 weeks to go and there have already been 16 submissions. So far, I like what I see, but I’d like to see some more questions to make the shoes as personal as possible. I can’t wait to see what other submissions come forth.

Fine Print: Nike is not officially involved with this contest other than they’ve done their part to keep me as a customer for throughout my entire athletic career. My fiancee is just simply awesome for letting me do this.

Mar9

Nike Shox Wedding Contest – Win $50!!!

Posted at 9:32 AM • View Comments

If you read my blog, then you know I’m a big fan of the Nike brand and their commercials. They’ve been there with me through all my days as an athlete in soccer, basketball and football. At all levels whether it was all-star teams or the powerhouse that is LSU football, I more often than not chose Nike gear. I figured they ought to be with me on one of the most important days of my life too.

During my wedding reception (5.9.2009), I will need that extra confidence and bounce to make sure I can make it to each food station with ease as they unveil new dishes throughout the night, meet n’ greet my guests with grace and, more importantly, glide with elegance and style on the dance floor. I will only be able to perform at my maximum in a set of Nike Shox. Using this reasoning and my superb litigation skills, I convinced my fiancee to let me wear a pair of Nike Shox during the wedding reception!!

The best part: I’ve chosen the shoe, but YOU get to choose the style and have a chance to win $50!!! It’s quite simple to compete and win, so here are the rules:

1) Go to NIKEiD and design a pair of Nike Shox for me to wear at the wedding reception.

2) The model has to be a running shoe, which are the “Turbo+ iD,” “Experience+ iD,” “ NZ iD” or the “Turbo+ VI iD.”

3) Save the design to your Nike profile (aka “myLocker”), use the “share” feature at the bottom right to copy the hyperlink to the design and then comment on this post with your design and hyperlink for all to see.

4) The winner, chosen by us, will receive a $50 Nike gift card!

5) Pictures of the shoes in action will be posted upon return from the honeymoon.

You can read the backstory on this contest here.

clouvioffdamkt1

Considerations…

1) My groomsmen and ring bearer will have the option to wear these shoes as well, so your design could be on eight pairs of feet!!

2) Feel free to comment on the blog with questions or check here regarding anything about the wedding so you can better tailor your design. e.g. What are your colors?

3) Feel free to email me the wallpaper download, so I can put a copy in my Flickr Stream.

4) This is a subjective contest, so if you like someone’s design, please leave a comment saying so. It may influence the results. Also, my wonderful fiancée gets the final say-so.

5) Even if you’re not competing, pass along the link to this blog. Increased competition yields better results. That’s what Nike and I are all about.

6) Feel free to ask me any questions about the NIKEiD site or this contest. Contest ends when my bachelor party begins at Midnight EST on April 1, 2009!!

Feb26

Selling Like The King

Posted at 9:30 AM • View Comments

Remember when Burger King first showed us how to “Wake Up with the King” with a series of commercials that showed a really weird guy in a mascot get-up? Everyone seemed to be a little freaked out by him; but now everyone sees him as a mainstream character. If you’re working on business development inside a start-up, this is how your clients will view your new product, and your goal is to get them thinking about your product as something they need to have.

Like the BK commercials, starting out, your clients are a little shocked and distorted by the images shown to them. After their initial confusion has passed,they quickly try to process and translate the images that have just passed in front of their eyes. This is the part where you have to be on top of your game because it’s now your job to “connect the dots” for them. If you fail at this juncture, then you will lose your prospect quickly; and it’s will be terribly hard to get them listening again.

These 3 things will help get them interested and the conversation warm:

1)    Know Your Product In and Out – Seems obvious right? Well, it’s not enough to know just your product. You must to know all the ones that are alike, seems alike and nowhere near alike. This is your golden opportunity to establish yourself as an expert. In a business relationship, this is what will make you trustworthy.
2)    Be Familiar with Their Needs – Don’t be arrogant in trying to know more about the client’s business needs than they do. You won’t, and it makes you look unprofessional. Some business development professionals are so anxious to get a client that they start sprouting off irrelevant ideas. Instead, have an idea of what they might be looking for and begin a dialogue with your prospect at that point. Listen!
3)    Establish a Strong Follow-Up Agenda – You just found out their true needs, so how can you possibly have a solution for them already? If you’re selling something revolutionary, then you can’t. Even if you think you already have a “God-like” solution in mind, establish a follow-up agenda. It will show that A) You care about their brand and want to give them the best possible solution and B) You now have a reason to follow-up that is mutually beneficial.

When selling a “revolutionary” product, it’s important to remember that they don’t have to have your business because in their mind they have survived to this point without it. It’s your job to understand your product and their needs, so you can “connect the dots” for them.

These 3 simple strategies will help you sell like The King by helping potential clients brush off the initial confusion of your product and get them to look at your product as a mainstay of their business success.

Feb23

Hire Top Sales Talent Using the NFL Combine

Posted at 9:39 AM • View Comments

The NFL Combine took place this past weekend. Too many times, especially in large sales organizations, the sales manager will solely look at performance numbers from their previous sales positions. This is certainly a place to start reviewing candidates, but it can’t be the sole factor in your hiring decision. You have to put them in an environment that will test their talents in a manner that will be relevant to your organization. In each of their previous companies, there are too many variables to possibly speculate whether or not a candidate will be successful on your sales team.

The NFL Combine exists to offer draft prospects a chance to display their skills, mentally and physically, on a level playing field. It is not possible for an NFL franchise to decide between quarterbacks Mark Sanchez (USC – PAC 10) and Josh Freeman (KSU – Big 12) by what they did on the field in college. Getting an invite to the Combine is the first step in the interview process for these young men, but having to prove themselves in tests that are important to individual NFL franchises will be the deciding factors in their draft status and position.

In the world of professional sales, you have to run your potential hires through a “sales combine” to prove whether or not they are qualified to be on your team. Here are 5 NFL Combine tests you can put your future sales stars through to guage how well they will perform for you:

1)    Wonderlic Test (Intelligence) – This sometimes-controversial test is a random series of questions that is supposed to measure a candidate’s aptitude and intelligence. You don’t have to spend the money to administer an expensive formal test; but a search for random seemingly useless knowledge is crucial. The last thing you need out in the field is a sales person that has nothing to discuss except your product or service. The search for random knowledge can be anything from a conversation about business to art to a reading assignment from a particular book. The point is to see how they think and converse about topics totally unrelated to what they will be selling.
2)    Vertical Jump (Goals) – Ask your candidates how high their goals are for themselves and the company. Look for drivers in their answer.   Your sales team has to be a driven group of individuals. Some sales managers make the mistake of simple wanting to hear, “I want money, money, money!” This is great, but it’s not the only thing that drives people. Listen for the things that are valuable (drivers) for the candidate such as advancement and culture. If they are things that your company can offer, then make sure to capitalize on those drivers.
3)    Bench Press (30-60-90-Day Plan) – The key to having success in any sales environment is strength of mind and endurance. The bench press is a great test of this. Have your candidates layout a plan for their first 90 days at the company. If it’s a well-know product category, you can even have them write it out through 120 days. It is a good exercise that will force the candidates to prove their grasp of the product and industry. Their style should give you a view of their sales acumen. If you’re in an emerging field, focus hard on the first 60 days and look at the candidate’s ability to adjust in a fast-paced environment.
4)    40-Yard Dash (Showtime) – The “40” time is often the most popular stat resulting from the Combine. It’s the catchy number they shout out on ESPN because most people find it easy to understand. The sales version of the “40” is a live sales presentation of your product put on by your potential candidate. During the “40,” you’re looking for their grasp of the material, presentation skills and presence. At this level, the difference between times is hundredths of a second; so you have to look for those 1 or 2 indescribable traits.
5)    3-Cone Drill (Agility) – During the presentation make sure to ask questions that your clients have typically asked you in the past. Don’t be scared to push the envelope with your questions. The goal is not to make them feel stupid because they can’t possibly be as polished as you. The goal is to see how the candidate responds to being outside the comfort zone.

Sales people are like the pro athletes of the business world because they are in the spotlight of the organization. They are often the most highly compensated individuals; however, along with their glory, they get most of the blame. As a hiring manager for a sales team, you have to put your candidates under fire to get a sense of how they will perform when it’s game time.

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