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Posts from the Eric's Blog category
Kevin Daum: Roar: How to Get Heard in the Sales and Marketing Jungle
My fellow Wiley author Kevin Daum has written a great new book called Roar: How to Get Heard in the Sales and Marketing Jungle. There is great material in Kevin’s book on all aspects of the marketing and sales process and the importance of creating the “awesome experience.” Kevin has some great insights into why you have to create a value proposition that informs every aspect of your business – - very good material, I found it helpful. His book is available in April, I encourage you to buy a copy and let others know about it.
One of the things I respect about Kevin is that he lives his message – he is a terrific promoter and he knows how to create a big splash and build a brand. Kevin is dead set on getting his book on the New York Times Bestseller list. For proof, check out his video: www.AwesomeRoar.com
This is a challenge to all of us when it comes to building our brand and helping people to connect with the value we provide.
Check out Auren Hoffman, Summation, on A-players
Auren Hoffman writes the blog Summation. Take a look at one of his not-so-distant posts on A-players: http://blog.summation.net/2009/10/common-traits-of-aplayers.html
He makes a number of good points, including:
The A-player janitor: As Auren points out, you don’t need a Harvard MBA to qualify as an A-player, and every role in your organization can be filled with a superior performer. So, I would ask you: what is the A-player profile for a janitor? If you were going to hire a truly superior person to fill that role,what results would demonstrate superior performance and A-player status?
Relentlessly resourceful: A-players in general know how to get things done. They don’t settle for results that are easily obtainable with current resources. They leverage what they have and find new ways to achieve results that go beyond what most other people are achieving.
Getting back to people: I think this is a great point – many highly effective people are incredible at following up and following through. They “close the loop” with people. They write a note to say thank you. They get back to others quickly. I wonder if this is not in part driven by the fact that very successful people often recognize that it is relationships and relational capital as much more than technical expertise that creates success.
More good points in this article, worth your time to take a look.
Know Your A-Player Profile
Earl Weaver, former manager of the Baltimore Orioles, has nothing but contempt for modern day baseball philosophy that emphasizes statistical analysis to manage games. Weaver’s philosophy (minus the expletives) is simple: get the strongest players you can and have them hit the ball out of the park. You can read the article from Sports Illustrated, July 13, 2009, here http://bit.ly/7Y5qdI
I recently talked to the president of a marketing business who told me that he wants to double the number of “homerun hitters” that he has in his organization. He wants people who can anticipate problems, see opportunities, and create solutions that serve customers. Another way of saying this is that the most valuable people in his business are those who know how to create solutions for customers and who can lead other employees to be a part of that process.
If you want to increase the number of strong leaders and performers in your company, here are two points to consider:
Every position has a combination of technical skills and behavioral skills required to qualify as an A-Player. What is the A-Player profile for key roles in your company? Don’t assume that people “will know an A-Player when they meet one.” They won’t. Or, worse, every person involved in the hiring process will have a different picture of what it means to be an A-player. Get everyone on the same page regarding this A-Player Profile so you can put on a big push to find and hire the best people.
In addition, not all employees are created equally. You should be investing your time with the A-players you already employ. Keep track of how much time you spend with your A players versus your problem children employees. Don’t spend too much time trying to solve problems for your average to poor performers while neglecting your best people. Your best employees don’t need their hands held. They do need you to provide them with the training and resources necessary to be successful. When you spend your time putting out fires for weaker performers, you do exactly that – spend your time. The only return you get is a resolved problem that should have been taken care of by someone else. However, when you invest your time with A-players, you give your best people the time and attention they need to do their jobs better. They take on even more responsibility and you fulfill one of your priorities – building an organization that has greater capacity to create value for customers and generate strong financial results in the process.
Stop Trying to Manage Your Time and Start Prioritizing
I have been writing a book, running a business, and working with my wife to keep our 4 kids alive, fed, and thriving (or at least surviving). If this isn’t a situation that calls for making the best use of your time, I don’t know what is. These time demands have reinforced for me that it’s hard to “manage” time in the traditional sense. Time is an inexorable force. Easier to manage and discipline yourself to take the best advantage of time.
While prioritization is not exactly a new idea, I have a challenge for you. Before the end of the day today, figure out the single most important thing you must complete tomorrow. Tomorrow, first thing, work on that number one priority and don’t stop until it is complete.
I have found that if I take this approach, I will not get everything done (because that is impossible), but I will end each day with the confidence and peace that I have completed (or at least made progress on) the most important things on my agenda. I have a hunger to bring important things to completion, “move the ball forward,” make meaningful progress, and control my work rather than allow it to control me. If prioritizing and then executing on my priorities can help me to get there, I am all for it.
