Posts tagged “Selling”

It Is What It Is

Posted on May 19, 2018
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It is what it is…except when we don’t know what it is. Is a project plan a one page graphic or 1,000+ lines of linked activities? Is a fitness plan a five minute video, a meal kit, or a holistic package of things? What does a company vice president do? (Hint: it depends.) What does expensive mean? What is the definition of fair share? What does a proposal, a business case, or a deliverable actual entail? If we’re not speaking common language, it’s hard to have a productive conversation. *

Categories: Communication

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It’s Competitive

Posted on April 28, 2017
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Everything is competitive. Not in the sports sense with winners, losers and a score. Competitive in the sense of alternatives. When a team tells me their deal is sole-sourced, there is no competition for their client, or this is the only option, I’m very skeptical. Do nothing is an alternative. Tomorrow is an alternative. Doing it alone is an alternative. There’s a varied sequence to 1) yes, I need something, 2) yes, I need it now, 3) yes, I will pay for it, 4) yes, I’ll buy it from you. *

Categories: Marketing

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Facts Tell, Stories Sell

Posted on July 10, 2016
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In the documentary KidPoker, Daniel Negreanu describes an emotional intelligence exercise in which he tells the same story two different ways. The first storytelling describes events as if they occurred completely outside of his control. I was a victim. It all just happened to me. The second storytelling describes the same events through the lens of personal choice. Everything was a result of my decisions. I was 100% responsible. What a powerful way to better perceive your circle of control. A narrative starts with what you sell yourself….facts tell, stories sell! *

Categories: Career

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Convincing

Posted on April 23, 2016
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Of what are you convincing me? It is faster/cheaper/better Others have it It suits me This is how to get it I need help You’ve done this before You can help me Now is a good time Before the path, the help or the customization, you must move me beyond the do nothing option. No pain, no change. *

Categories: Marketing

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Overselling (and Underbuying)

Posted on March 21, 2015
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My firm was recently accused of overselling (the too eager mindset, not the overbooking practice) at a client. It’s not altogether surprising considering the project environment…overly tactical, reactive, short-term focus driven by inexperienced, disconnected teams…but there are lessons here. Overselling You look at the landscape through the lens of your products and services. You decide the client does not know what they are doing. You spend lots of time speaking to others who share your perspective (i.e., firehouse syndrome), and you convince yourself the client needs a massive solution. You provide complex answers to simple requests. You embed your resources into your recommendations and mention what you can do as much as possible. You are perceived as too aggressive for the environment. Perception becomes reality. “Do…

Categories: Marketing

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