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High-Impact Implementation Questions

High-Impact Implementation Questions. 1: What needs to be covered when kicking off a client relationship? 2: How to help the client make (the right kind of) demands? 3: How to blend the High-Impact approach with subject matter focus?.

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High-Impact Implementation Questions

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  1. High-Impact Implementation Questions • 1: What needs to be covered when kicking off a client relationship? • 2: How to help the client make (the right kind of) demands? • 3: How to blend the High-Impact approach with subject matter focus? Strictly confidential to Sales Performance Consultants, Inc.

  2. I believe RHS&A might set up their situations differently. But how? Given the situation below, what do you think might happen? 1: What needs to be covered when kicking off a client relationship? • Set-up • CEO liked process approach (of course!) • Sales department resisted the idea (of course!) • CEO wanted to do work • Both of us wary of what might go wrong • I proposed a “trust” project • Interviews with marketing, sales, customer service VPs. • Get behind the scenes, build relationships, look for wins • Every department mentioned resource challenges, • Lots of talented, insightful people with lots of urgencies • Succeeded in generating a project idea everyone liked • Project Description • Business Result: Increase quality of leads from a website • Design the site around the customer instead of the product • One specific market/product (traditional one was too big/complex, we chose a smaller one) • Goal: 100% improvement in lead quality • Within 90 days • We would measure website traffic and lead quality before and after we changed the design of the website • VP Marketing was excited by the strategy and the project • VP Sales had nothing to resist • VP Marketing picked up the baton (process improvement project) • CEO agreed that if resources were an issue at any point he would solve it. • Statement of Work to CEO • $20k to work with his managers to implement the project • $10k on achievement of goal • CEO wanted to negotiate, offering meabout 12k • I refused. • We compromised on 20. “Regardless of the outcome” • It didn’t feel quite right, but he was wary, and I wanted to do the work, so I figured this was a way to earn more trust. • Background • $36 million, privately held software firm, ~ 300 employees • Founded 1987, failed IPO attempt in the mid 90s • Profitable through the dot com bubble, current revenue flat • CEO • Analytic, technical, soft spoken • Founded firm shortly after college • Reputation for micromanaging • Business Problem • CEO needs to improve sales results • Traditional market matured, revenue & margin declining • Margin dwindling, new market penetration frustrating • CEO understands simple product selling, distrustful of complex selling and sales execs (they always seem to have excuses) • Frustrated with internal arguments (market dpt vs sales dpt) • Initial meeting with CEO confirmed the fit. Process improvement in marketing and sales, High-Impact approach • My firm could help him: • Achieve sales objectives • Enterprise Market • Professional Services • • Help over come challenges • Support marketing strategy • Effective sales process • Metrics and feedback system • Leverage investment in Siebel • Achieve Results CEO wanted to add focus on traditional market (80% of the volume) Strictly confidential to Sales Performance Consultants, Inc.

  3. I have a meeting with CEO next Tuesday. Puzzle is what to do. People say this happens often with him (as if he fails to realize contradictions in his actions) He must be frustrated by how his people behave. My email to CEO J H (eBusiness) remains enthusiastic but he acknowledged the resource constraint in getting the Siebel form and the traffic statistics accomplished. (Wow - four to five weeks for these simple things seems like a heck of a bottleneck!) He said he would ask you regarding priorities. … I sense we are at turning point. If this project is to be taken seriously you are the one who must make that clear. Let's not lose sight of how valuable the goal is: We are working toward a predictable, reliable sales process that will be capable of meeting your objectives regardless of economic conditions. 2: How to help the client make(the right kind of) demands? • VP Marketing picked up the baton • Defined project steps, surveyed customers • Devised new approach to website • Devised way of measuring quality of leads • Requested of website traffic data from eBusiness department • Found another initiative we could attach to • new website development project • Sales department was supposedly on board already • Project review with CEO • Reviewed progress, customer input, new site design • A resource issue surfaced: • New website development projectunder resourced • Decided it was a stretch but could be done • Green light to proceed • eBusines • Went back to eBusiness: no measurement data • eBusiness asked CEO for direction. CEO tried to get him to answer his own question. Result: muddy water. • I made a surprise discovery and helped averting a train wreck • Sales department was unaware of controversial parts of website project! Mad about marketing’s decisions! • I helped bring the two depts together to fix it • Marketing process improvement now upstaged by new CEO initiative • Franklin Covey project to align objectives and metrics, create dashboards for each department • no resources for our website redesign, gathering website traffic data, etc. CEO email to me: I hope this helps. [Copies me on his response to J H (eBusiness)]: [J H] > What is the priority of this project? [CEO] There is no easy answer to such a question about any project. So don't ask it in such a way - no manager can give you an effective answer. … [J H] > How does this fit in with our larger strategies? [CEO] Somethings gotta change to help us be more effective in Enterprise Tool = AdminStudio sales. The sooner we get started on understanding AdminStudio customer the better it is. Also Gerold is the sponsor of this project - feel free to discuss with him how this fits into the scheme of things. … Observation: the real question was never asked or answered! • I sensed a problem (too late?) & sent email to CEO (see on right) Observation:The CEO makes tons of demands on his people – and keeps on making them! How can I help him do it better? • Status • Marketing process improvement project stalled due to resources • Marketing VP failed to return my call Thursday. • CEO granted my request for meeting Strictly confidential to Sales Performance Consultants, Inc.

  4. 3: How to blend the High-Impact approach with subject matter focus? • My expertise is marketing and sales • Not general management consulting • My value is in unique implications of process approach • Questions that have not asked • Systematic thinking removes roadblocks, make sales easier • Is it possible to take a High-Impact approach blended with specific expertise? • I think so, but sense the pitfalls. • Comments? Suggestions? Strictly confidential to Sales Performance Consultants, Inc.

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