It was an annual ritual at the medical supply company at which I was employed in the late ‘90s: strategic planning. This particular meeting was lead with great enthusiasm by the vice president of sales.
“Next year is going to be different!” he declared. “We will really be focusing our sales efforts in the next twelve months.”
A wave of anticipation rippled through the room by a sales team anxious for leadership and direction. After an awkward pause, a confident voice inquired, “That sounds great, Brady. What are we going to focus on?”
With steely-eyed sincerity, he scanned the crowd, speaking slowly so as to emphasize the importance of his statement, “We are going to focus on everything.”
Unaware of the irony in his statement, Brady was really saying everyone had to work harder at what they were already doing. Doubling your efforts on tactics that aren’t working is not the answer.
In working with clients, our first initiative assists the top leaders of that organization to agree on what we call their sweet-spot customer. This is the type of customer they must have to move the company forward. Not only does this form the foundation for the new way of looking at their business, but it focuses valuable resources on the prospects/clients most important to the growth of the organization.
Focusing on your sweet-spot customer informs:
To whom sales should be calling
The content of sales tools, messages, and processes
The content of marketing materials
The content and placement of advertising messages
What trade shows to attend – if any
And much more
Instead of sales “chasing anything that moves”, everyone is focused on attracting and retaining the right kind of client. No more hoping you’re doing the right thing – now you know.
If your organization is headed in all different directions and working harder with less return, it’s time to stop focusing on everything. Agree on your sweet-spot customer and put your resources to work on them to move your company forward in 2010.
To learn how organizations have benefited from our services, check out our case studies section >
