The Nature of Business Development

Organic business development requires a comprehensive, coordinated 3-part effort. You must have sufficient strength in each of the marketing, sales and customer service areas of your company to attract, acquire and retain customers.

The Venus Fly Trap is nature’s equivalent of a well-run marketing, sales and retention program. Like many plants they get fed both from gases in the air and nutrients in the soil. But it is in catching the “right” insects that will help the flytrap truly thrive rather then just exist. To be considered carnivorous, a plant must attract, capture and digest some kind of animal life.

The plant must first secrete a sweet-smelling sap that is attractive to its’ intended prey (marketing). After an insect lands on the plants’ trap it will close, but not all the way, in about one second. Insects that are too small or too large are released because they provide inadequate nutrition or are “too big to swallow”(sales qualification). Stones, nuts or other inadvertent objects are released in about twelve hours if they don’t meet the flytrap’s expectations (firing the wrong customers). If the plant finds the captive bug to its’ liking however, (the “just right” customer), the trap is shut tight never to open again until the next catch (retention).

Just so you know, successful, natural business development must work together in just the same way, with all three steps to build long-term loyal customers and revenue stability.

Things in nature usually work very well. Design your marketing, sales and retention process just as well to build long-term repetitive success.

Pass the Pixie Dust

We recently worked with some highly intelligent executives at a reasonably successful larger corporation looking for long-term growth. The initial conversations revolved around the strategy, tactics and depth of programs they felt that they needed to re-educate their exiting clients about new products and services as well as making themselves known to new potential customers.

After many meetings over several months they decided they wanted a “quick hit” to increase sales fast and didn’t want a more comprehensive program. They wanted to send one direct marketing piece out to several thousand recipients and needed an immediate return on investment.

We said no thank you.

Oh, we could have taken their money and done a campaign. But, odds are, we may not have gotten the expected results right away and gotten fired anyway, likely the first in a long-line of many marketing firms who would not get the immediate results they said they needed.

You see, the mystery of successful marketing is most often based in consistency, not magic. One anything; postcard, rebate offer, trade show etc. is highly unlikely to net you sustained long-term leads, prospects and ultimately, customers.

In our personal relationships, one event does not define them. Rather, it is an on-going series of interactions and remembrances that keep us connected to other individuals. Greeting cards, flowers, presents, phone calls and many other expressions of endearment help our personal relationships survive and grow.

In the same way, (to those who are receptive to it) you must commit to a never-ending series of communication tactics like newsletters, emails, white papers, direct mail campaigns etc. to interest, excite and acquire new customers, and, keep them for the long haul. Relationships in business are built just like in our private lives, through constant attention and contact.

Just so you know, if you need more business, you need to commit to a sustained, never-ending marketing effort. If you don’t continually engage potential clients about who you are and what you do, you’re making it next to impossible for them to buy from you.

Am I a Problem?

“There is only one boss. The customer and he can fire everybody in the company from the chairman on down, simply by spending his money somewhere else”.

- Sam Walton

Funny. I thought that at least if the customer wasn’t always right, they at least could not be an annoyance to the customer service person taking their money!

I walked into a grocery store the other day to buy a gift card as a present for a friend. After the first swipe, I pointed out to the cashier that she had charged me double. “Humph” came the response.

The second attempt brought with it a long sigh when I mentioned that she had keyed in the wrong amount. The third attempt did not provide the desired result either when she then could not get the card to activate at all. “You know”, she said to me, “I’m getting really annoyed!”

She finally was able to get the deal done the way I had asked for initially to which my response was, “I’m sorry to have annoyed you”. To which her response was another “Humph”.

Do you think her boss, manager or the store’s owner would like me to mention the name of the store?

Just so you know, don’t take your customers for granted – they are your boss. “Thank you for shopping with us” and “please come again” still work to make customers feel good. I won’t be a problem for that store again because I won’t be coming back.

One Missing Sign is Often the First of Many

I recently went to breakfast with a business colleague at a fairly large hotel restaurant.
Now if you’re like me, and most people I know, you’d look for the sign that gives the instructions about how I’m about to be served. Either; “please seat yourself”, or, “please wait to be seated”. We saw neither.

And to make things even more confusing, there was NO ONE in any direction to help tell us what we should do. Not wanting to break the unwritten rule we did not see, we waited. And waited. And waited.

After about 4 to 5 minutes we decided to seat ourselves and help ourselves to the breakfast buffet. We put our coffee, juice and first plate down and went to retrieve some silverware. When we got back to our table we found that our food had been cleared and table washed down.

While standing there more than somewhat both stunned and amused, the server mysteriously appeared again and when we mentioned what had happened she matter-of-factly responded that we could help ourselves to more food. And she disappeared again.

After finally re-loading our plates we found the eggs runny, the fruit not ripe, the coffee cold and the juice warm.

Be obsessive about how well you greet, and treat, your customers. If you miss the mark with their first expectation, chances are that human nature will find other elements of your service that won’t measure up. Just so you know, first impressions still count, a lot. Customers have expectations about how they will be served. What “signs” are you giving yours’?

Of Social Media and other S’s of Marketing

I just sat through a fascinating presentation by Harry Gold of Overdrive Interactive on social media marketing. Several things stood out.

There is a misconception among some that much if not all of this stuff is “fluff”. It’s not.
Many people that I’ve spoken with think social media marketing only works with B-to-C applications. That’s wrong.
You can “dabble” in it and maybe get a hit or two along the way that will turn into something over time. Maybe- but – not likely.

Here are the three words I’d offer to counter those arguments.

Sophisticated. On the contrary to the “fluff” argument, the marketers who engage (successfully) in social media marketing are very sophisticated. It is not child’s play. The creative and technological aspects of successfully deploying it are every bit as critical as traditional media channels.

Savvy. B-to-B organizations are have woken up to the need to add social media marketing to their other business development activities. Over 80% of companies with more than 500 employees are doing it. They realize that if “you’re not in it – you’re outside it”.

Serious. They say that politics is a full-contact sport. So is marketing / business development / revenue and customer creation. If you want to grow your business in the 21st Century, you need to figure out how to add social media marketing to your mix.

I’m not a believer in “silver bullet” answers or putting all your eggs in one basket. But, just so you know, if it’s not, social media marketing should be a big part of the plans for your marketing effort in the future.

Change Requires Escape Velocity

Think about change for a moment. Change is a word and a concept that often immobilizes even the most goal-oriented, determined and successful people among us.

Think of a happy circumstance you are experiencing right now or the flush of pride over some recent accomplishment. The reality is that something had to change for you to create and enjoy the new experience.

In physics, escape velocity refers to the speed needed to “break free” from a gravitational field. A rocket ship leaving the surface of the earth requires about 11.2 kilometers per second (km/s) of velocity to counteract the effects of gravity. Interestingly, the further away you get from the source of gravity, the less energy is required to “pull away”.

All objects on the Earth have the same escape velocity. But, what is different is the amount of energy needed to accelerate objects of greater mass to achieve escape velocity.

In just the same way, to change any circumstance in our life, we must have sufficient thrust and constant momentum to break free of the conditions that are keeping us in their hold and not allowing us to discover something new. Just like the Earth’s gravity, we have habits and slips in our forward momentum that keep us locked in place. Just like the rocket ship, we must have some required minimum amount of acceleration to move us toward our hoped for destination.

It could be the desire to quit smoking, eat better, improve your company or the need to change relationships or careers. You’ll need to line up your reasons, confirm your motivations and get into action in a manner than allows you eventually to break free of the pull of your current situation.

A rocket ship needs to be designed properly to accomplish its’ mission and get into space. It takes science, engineering, physics and technology. To achieve your life’s mission, and get into your proper orbit, it will take no less combination of important factors. Just so you know, for us humans, those things will be thoughts, expectations, choices and attitudes. How well are you constructing your “ship” to create the change you want and deserve?

What's Harder? Bringing Home the Bacon or Cooking It?

My wife returns tomorrow from the first real, extended, separate vacation in our marriage. She’s in Denver visiting a friend and I’ve had complete control of the ship (eight kids) for 5 days now.

Everyone (mostly women) I’ve seen the last few days have asked one-half compassionately and one-half snickering – “how’s it going? Are you doing OK?” “Piece of cake” is my standard answer.

This is in NO way to diminish the challenge, sacrifice and commitment of stay-at-home (or even more so – single) moms. Five days does not equal five weeks or five months or five years. But, in my very brief assignment of being in charge of “things”, I know what my choice would be between primary care-giver and sole-provider.

This week I’ve; applied band-aids, done homework, cooked meals, visited grandparents, done laundry, negotiated sibling disputes, driven kids to various activities, and given and gotten lots of hugs and kisses.

Last week I; negotiated contracts, went to networking events, handled customer complaints, dealt with disgruntled employees, managed the unrelenting pressure of “making the numbers” and shaved regularly.

I’m certainly not suggesting that the “grass is greener” in any direction. It has always been and will always be what each of us makes of our unique circumstances. But, Just So You Know - given the choice of catching the food or cooking it, after some significant, dedicated time really doing both – I think I know which one has more rewards, more impact and the most meaningful benefits for everyone involved, in both the short term, and, long-run.