Tag Archives: #Content in Context

Understanding the sales people you need…. and when!

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SalesSales people come in all shapes and sizes. Some sales people are really adept at only one style of selling; others can adapt according to circumstances.

Based on my experiences there are four main types, organised along two axes: Transactional to Relationship-based client conversations; and  Tactical or Strategic sales techniques.

The Ambulance Chasers take their cue from personal injury lawyers who literally follow the stretcher into the emergency room. These sales people are almost entirely reactive, and only ever think about the next “chase”. They are less interested in building client relationships, and more focused on how much they can get from a single sale. Such sales people can often be relied upon to achieve short-term sales targets, but they don’t necessarily generate a lot of repeat business. If they develop a good nose for where more opportunities may be found, and if they can engage in more systematic sales planning, they may be able to transition into the Tree Shaker.

Tree Shakers are skilled in tapping into existing networks and markets, and uncovering latent opportunities – at times it’s simply a question of knowing how to harvest the low hanging fruit, at others it’s knowing when to dig deeper into an established client account. These sales people can usually find an extra sale or two when their colleagues might have given up – but beware of Tree Shakers who are really sand baggers, holding back those deals for when they really need them.

A skilled Tree Shaker or even an experienced Ambulance Chaser will know that leveraging industry contacts can help them get to more opportunities – but in order to cultivate deep client relationships that yield returns time after time, or to build long-term pipeline potential, you really need strong Networkers. These sales people play the long game (not always helpful when short-term sales goal need to be met….) because they know that having a strong strategic plan and resilient relationship skills will pay off in the end. Networkers are great at leading by example when it comes to account management and updating the CRM system – but they can infuriate if they become too reliant on too few contacts. (Tip: check their expense reports to see if they are having coffee with the same people every month…)

However, the type of sales people who can leave all others in their wake are the Rainmakers – those that can literally conjure something up out of nothing. At times, the Rainmaker may appear to be totally opportunistic – pulling a rabbit from a hat just when it was needed (again, beware the sand bagger) – but their forte is going into uncharted waters and coming back with the catch of the season; and while their colleagues may resent their skills (or question their methods?), secretly they admire the Rainmaker because they show what can be done in seemingly difficult or untested markets. The downside is that Rainmakers might only have one big deal in them, unless they can build sales momentum and sustain interest in the market – otherwise, they quickly move on.

In reality, every sales person probably needs to demonstrate each of these styles at different times; and like any balanced team, a sales organisation needs to have all four styles on their bench. The real insights are knowing where and when to deploy these different skills, and understanding what the results mean when doing a breakdown of the sales reports.

NEXT WEEK: Revisiting geo-blocking in light of the Competition Policy Review Draft Report

Infographic Resumes: Form over Content?

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I’m old enough to remember when the filofax personal organiser (think PDA for hipsters?) became the must-have accessory in the yuppy culture boom of the early ’80s. (I recall my housemate, a creative at a leading ad agency, dashing around in panic one morning when he couldn’t find his filofax before he left for work – “That’s got my whole life in it!”.)

About the same time, home computers and desktop publishing software came on the market, and everyone became their own graphic designer.

One (thankfully short-lived) outcome when these trends collided was the emergence of the desktop designed resume, that could be printed out and stored in a filofax, including some that folded out to reveal the candidate’s illustrated profile. (I kid you not – I received several of these “cutting edge” CV’s when hiring for graduate-entry roles.)

More recently, there appears to be a fascination for infographic resumes – with a number of online tools available to turn your illustrious career into a poster with apparent ADHD – such as Pinterest, Kinzaa, Vizualize.me, and re.vu, among others.

I have no problem with using infographics to portray data and content in interesting and informative ways. But the problem with many of the resume designs I have seen is that they are either limited to portraying careers in a purely linear and/or statistical fashion; or they overcompensate by using “gimmicks” such as over-stylised graphics, irrelevant iconography and even multiple fonts. Much about these designs reveal a tendency for form over content.

While it’s important to be able to tell a good story, what employers often want to know is: what can you do for them and their clients, now and in the future?

Rory Manchee - Value Proposition - Sept 2014

 

Content Marketing and the “New Hierarchy of Needs”

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Maslow’s theory on the “Hierarchy of Needs” has become shorthand for explaining human behaviour and motivation – primarily in our personal lives, but increasingly in our working lives. At the risk of offering an answer to yet another first world problem, it seems to me that many social media platforms and content marketing solutions are trying to recalibrate Maslow for generating deeper (and sometimes more meaningful) engagement with consumers. So, by way of a simple infographic, I am offering my own theory on the new hierarchy of needs:

New Hierarchy of Needs

 

When we are looking for a product or service to meet a need, we are usually in “discovery mode” – we are searching for content that helps us by offering suggestions, comparing products and prices, and clarifying the precise need. So, we are either browsing, curious, or looking for assistance.

Having found some possible solutions, we seek reassurance via informed recommendations, peer referrals and published reviews. We may place different weight on this information depending on the source, but we are seeking justification for our reason to buy, or validation for becoming a customer.

If we are happy with our choice, and given the right opportunity and encouragement, we may be willing to tell our friends and anyone else who’s interested via Likes and social media posts and reviews. This is an interesting point in the engagement transaction – going from peer-to-peer sharing, to looking for approval for our decision from the wider community.

Finally, if we are so enamoured with the product, and we enjoy sharing our experiences, we may be flattered into making a lifestyle statement about our preferences; we could become a self-identified “voice of authority” through blogging and endorsements, or we might be willing to be closely identified with a brand as an advocate or champion (the sort of customer beloved of Net Promoter Scores).

The ultimate consumer-turned-champion was, of course Victor Kiam, the customer who liked the product so much, he bought the company….

#Startup Victoria’s Pitch Night – @ParentPaperwork takes the honours…

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The repositioning of Lean Startup Melbourne as Startup Victoria continues apace, with a formal Pitch Night hosted by Inspire9, sponsored by Bank of Melbourne, Bluechilli and The X Gene, and featuring an expert panel.

The 5 plucky pitchers were (in order of appearance):

  • Arts ‘n Smarts – An early childhood learning platform, offering a subscription service comprising monthly home deliveries of craft materials for use in structured play activities. The business has identified strong channel potential via play groups, partnerships with content providers and craft suppliers, and cross-over sales from the gift and baby/toddler markets. However, the panel felt that the subscription revenue model needed more analysis, and there was a risk that they were “pitching to the converted” – that informed parents would already be engaged in their children’s learning activities.
  • CreoLud – Custom 3-D printing for Dungeons & Dragons figurines which aims to fill the design gap between concept and production. Given the somewhat esoteric nature of fantasy board games, it was unsurprising that the panel were a little perplexed by this pitch. However, quoting some McKinsey research suggesting there is a $16.2bn global market for broader physical gaming and figures markets, this pitch could represent just the start of a growth trend in customisation and personalization, leveraging 3-D printing technology.
  • ParentPaperwork – Online student consent form service for schools that uses standard e-mail templates, a secure website and real-time reporting. By adopting a SaaS model, the business eliminates the need for software installation, app downloads, or social network registration processes. Although each State education system has different purchasing models for schools, the panel clearly recognised the potential to scale the product and take it overseas. However, there were concerns about privacy and confidentiality issues; and while there may be a crossover to the school enrolment process, another similar local startup, CareMonkey is already gaining traction and incorporates permission slips into its solution.
  • YourGrocer – This home delivery service for local suppliers has been featured in my blog before and continues to grow its customer base and weekly revenues at a steady rate. The combination of local shopping with added convenience is very appealing, but the panel quickly challenged the business to specify how it will grow out of its single-suburb service, currently based on a sole delivery van and driver. There appears to be some “creative tension” about how to expand the business beyond the borders of Brunswick – the choices being either to hire more full-time drivers, to build a franchise network, or to establish a marketplace of independent owner-drivers.
  • StageLabel – Describing itself as “a crowd-funded label bringing democracy to fashion…“, this online venture recognises the high failure rate for new designer labels, but is banking on its market disruption strategy for success. The business model is to test and validate new designs in pre-production, then gain funding to go into production. The business will also offer strategy sessions on pricing and production, and take a lower sales commission on successful projects when compared to the traditional retail mark-up. With over 80 designers already signed up, partnerships with fashion schools and launch events at Melbourne Spring Fashion Week, the business is hoping to outmanoeuvre competitor betabrand which only produces own-label designs. In their feedback, the panel concluded that the idea represented “high effort, low volumes”.

On the night, the audience voted ParentPaperwork as the winning pitch, earning them a chat with Square Peg Capital, mentoring from two panel members of their choice, and temporary co-working space at Queens Collective. The successful team graciously acknowledged that all 5 teams had collaborated to help each other hone their respective pitches, and no doubt there has been a huge amount of individual effort and collective goodwill in helping to bring these startups to a wider audience.

FOOTNOTE:

This meetup was just the latest in a growing number of pitch nights coming out of the local startup scene (in the wake of similar events such as the AngelCube graduation nights, Melbourne University’s Accelerator Program, and Oxygen Venture’s BIG Pitch). If you don’t happen to live in Melbourne, or can’t get out in the evening, you could always tune into “That Start Up Show”.