I was recently reading "Exceptional Selling" by Jeff Thull. The subtitle is "How the Best Connect and Win in High Stakes Sales". Thull offers a bevy of great advice about how the old way of selling is out the door - especially when it comes to complex sales that involve many pieces.
As I was reading - I came across a chapter where he talked about why Requests for proposals (RFP's) result in bad sales. He mentions how winning an RFP is akin to winning the lottery. He goes on to talk about how the process outlines a client's wish list and a defined decision making process that dissuades creativity and finding the optimal solution. In a complex sale - the RFP process does everything to attempt to reduce solution providers to a commodity.
I couldn't agree more. I can see where an RFP might make sense if you are buying toilet paper and there are 5 brands with similar features and it all comes down to price. However - when you are selling complex solutions to sophisticated buyers, the way you get to the optimal solution is to foster creativity and "out-of-the-box" thinking. When you get stuck into the RFP fifedom - usually with procurement - you end up with an invisible wall in front of you that does not allow for the interactivity that is so important to the process.
Thull goes so far to suggest that at times you need to walk away from RFP's. He discusses the opportunity loss that needs to be considered amongst other things. Even when I have been on the winning side of the RFP - the next steps are much more cumbersome. Why? Because you really need to back up and get into creativity side of things. Many times - both parties find out a lot about what should have been knowon up front. I have seen many a partnerships go bad because of this.
At the end of the day, people buy from people and fostering deep understanding results in a better outcome for all sides. I am not sure the RFP is going to be laid to rest anytime soon, but it wouldn't bother me.
A.E>>>
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
What Sucks with Social Networking
I am doing my best to get my GenX brain around this whole social networking thing. I also have to explain that I am a borderline GenX'er and was extremely close to being a 'Boomer.
That being said, I have done everything I know how to do with LinkedIn and Twitter. I guess at this point - I have about 317 connections on LinkedIn and belong to 19 groups. On Twitter - I am following 12 people and have 9 people following me.
I obviously find some value or at least potential value by using these tools - but that's no fun to write about, so I thought I would instead right about what sucks.
- I am sick of these groups on LinkedIn. I am bombarded with group discussion boards, when more than half are commercials in disguise or just blatant job postings. LinkedIn needs a better way for Group Leaders to police this. I admit that in the early days - I was trying to promote - until I realized how much it bugged me. So - yes - I was an ass and I apologize to anyone I offended.
- You can't sync accounts. If you by chance set up 2 separate accounts on LinkedIn and are trying to merge - don't bother. When you look it up in the FAQs - it says "Don't bother".
- Why do I have strippers following me on Twitter? I am a neophyte on Twitter, but this week I got notice that some lovely looking woman was now following me. When I looked at her BIO - I realized she was a stripper. Not that I am against strippers, but I was trying to envision myself at my Twitter home page with my wife seeing this seductive stipper sending me comments about what she was doing at the moment.
- Why is it so hard to find people on Twitter? I look up Bill Gates, and it tells me I can follow "NotBillGates". However - I did find and begin following Barack Obama. Mostly - because I am most curious on the subjects that our leader Tweets on. We'll see how that goes, but for now - it is boring.
- How to Tweet your horn. Now that I have 9 people following me - all but one that are not strippers - I feel compelled to tweet. However - I am striking out on what to say. "Hey - just got done eating a burger and it was yummy", or "just mowed the lawn - man its hot".
Anyway - thanks for letting me rant.
Peace Out
BFF Adam
That being said, I have done everything I know how to do with LinkedIn and Twitter. I guess at this point - I have about 317 connections on LinkedIn and belong to 19 groups. On Twitter - I am following 12 people and have 9 people following me.
I obviously find some value or at least potential value by using these tools - but that's no fun to write about, so I thought I would instead right about what sucks.
- I am sick of these groups on LinkedIn. I am bombarded with group discussion boards, when more than half are commercials in disguise or just blatant job postings. LinkedIn needs a better way for Group Leaders to police this. I admit that in the early days - I was trying to promote - until I realized how much it bugged me. So - yes - I was an ass and I apologize to anyone I offended.
- You can't sync accounts. If you by chance set up 2 separate accounts on LinkedIn and are trying to merge - don't bother. When you look it up in the FAQs - it says "Don't bother".
- Why do I have strippers following me on Twitter? I am a neophyte on Twitter, but this week I got notice that some lovely looking woman was now following me. When I looked at her BIO - I realized she was a stripper. Not that I am against strippers, but I was trying to envision myself at my Twitter home page with my wife seeing this seductive stipper sending me comments about what she was doing at the moment.
- Why is it so hard to find people on Twitter? I look up Bill Gates, and it tells me I can follow "NotBillGates". However - I did find and begin following Barack Obama. Mostly - because I am most curious on the subjects that our leader Tweets on. We'll see how that goes, but for now - it is boring.
- How to Tweet your horn. Now that I have 9 people following me - all but one that are not strippers - I feel compelled to tweet. However - I am striking out on what to say. "Hey - just got done eating a burger and it was yummy", or "just mowed the lawn - man its hot".
Anyway - thanks for letting me rant.
Peace Out
BFF Adam
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