Thank you for following and checking in on this blog.  It has been dormant for some time now and for that I apologize.   A diversified plan was in place for the past few years:  Diversified by topic as well in social media presence.  Moving forward, this blog is being transferred, consolidated, and absorbed at the following location:  http://dwstraub.tumblr.com/

Additionally, the marketing brand and image are being managed by the Straub Organization under the moniker of The CRM Network.  The CRM Network’s social media profile consists of a Facebook page, Twitter account, Google Plus page, and a YouTube channel.  The links to some of these can be found at http://StraubOrg.com/The_CRM_Network

While the writings will be more broadly based, you will still find the essence of this outlet in many of the future pieces. I have often stated to clients that when a business model is no longer successful then there must be a change.  That has been true for others in the past and it is true now.  As Spring has sprung and the life renewed, so too the time for this to be born anew. 

With Warmest Regards.

The Yahoo! Effect

In light of the recent headlines created by Yahoo!, I thought it would be best to take a step back and review certain aspects of how one views their daily work.  Working from home is nothing new.  The nomadic sales person has been doing it for centuries.  Add to that the daily contractor that is on job sites by day and crunching numbers by night or the home-based business person selling everything from cosmetics to jewelry, the home office is nothing new.

What is new, are the personalities and tools that have found their way into the home office/telecommuting environment.  One must have a sense of his/her own personal discipline and work in an environment conducive to their needs.  Sales people of all personalities have found ways to prosper.  However, now we have a rise in a relatively new animal known as the consultant.  Consultants are found in every field and most are not accustomed to being their own boss or the freedom, for better or worse,  that comes with working from home.

For many, this has been modified to give them the best of both worlds; the tether to a corporate office or employer with the freedom of working from home.  That being said, if the personality of the telecommuter is not conducive to an at home work environment, then the work and the company suffers.  What Yahoo! did could be in reaction to the wrong personalities working outside the office environment.  So the approach is to bring everyone back to the company office, evaluate personalities, possibly create training initiatives to help all personalities work better off site, then open the company back up to telecommuting.

It only makes sense that with so many tools at ones disposal that overcoming any personality or complementing personalities should be possible.  But without understanding how to make maximum use of the tools, they go underutilized.  I could load up my truck with all kinds of tools from Home Depot but without the knowledge of how to use them, I can’t make, build, or fix anything. 

In conclusion, the issue boils down to the need for evaluation and training.  Perhaps other firms need to do the same thing as Yahoo! and maybe some firms have already found solutions to create a “best practices” training approach to the issue.  Either way, it is easy to poke fun at an internet based firm doing away with telecommuting.  But there is always more to the story than just the headline or late night joke.

ROI on Face to Face Personalization, Part I

The other day I came across an article on CMO.com written by Nick Corcodilos entitled “Is Face Time the New Personalization?” that summarized the findings by Geoffrey James.  It is somewhat profound however if one thinks about the main points it is also not very surprising.  Having said that, it doesn't mean that companies and individuals have changed their behaviors or modified their approaches to adapt.

Without going into much detail on any one point, I will try to make a quick summary to move onto the logical, natural progression and implication of these points.

First, cold calling is out.  That is putting it mildly.  Cold calling is dead.  To be honest, who didn't know this?  Years ago you had to go through a switch board, then a receptionist, then an administrative assistant or “gate keeper”, then came voice mail, automated systems, and caller ID.

Second, technology is more portable.  With smart phones, tablets and abundant WIFI, sales personnel along with other job functions are no longer tied to an office.  So even if cold calling wasn't dead, the chances of the person you are trying to contact actually being there are slim.

 

Third, data driven management opens the doors to a more diverse personality in sales.  No longer is sales relegated to the “Herb Tarlicks” of the world.  With data, a typical underperformer can be turned into a good sales person.  This broadens the personality spectrum and, with good training and good data, creates opportunities for more candidates.

All this leads to, as the article states, a “known person to known person” interaction. 

I said all that, to branch off into two lines of thinking:

1:            Making the most of Social Media

2:            What is the ROI?

Whether in sales or job searching, this flattening of information and need for personalization relies more on whom you know rather than what you know.  A recent stat from the Wall Street Journal shows that over half of all jobs are never posted before they are filled.  In this environment you need to find ways to network and expand your personal network.  One way is through Social Media.  Facebook is great to connect with old friends, but LinkedIn is where you can connect with not only other professionals, but with companies.  Most of the services are free, but you can opt for a membership of about $50 per month or $600 per year.

 

This brings me to my next inquiry about ROI.  If you are seeking a new job, how much are you willing to invest in finding that job?  If all this leads to personalization then it tells me you will be spending a lot of time at Starbucks, a chain restaurant, or even a local bar or pub to meet people.  And if the meeting is at your request, which most likely it is, you are probably going to be on the hook for the tab.  It is safe to say that each interaction is going to average $15; from two cups of coffee to two adult beverages and maybe the occasional lunch.

Moreover, these interactions are not a one and done deal.  The first meeting is an introductory one, the second is follow up, and the third is one of appreciation for efforts.  So each new found relationship is a minimum $45 investment.  How many of these do you want to have?  How many of these do you think you will need?  And again, what is the ROI?

Let’s say a person “exited”, for lack of another term, a job that paid, on a monthly basis, $5000 per month before taxes; basically $60k per year.  Now they want to find something similar.  They net $45k per year or $3750 per month.  Now how many of these $45 relationships per month are they willing to go through?

Now let’s say you are a sales person with 15 meeting slots a week, half of which are in a formal office setting.  This leaves about 8 meetings a week in the setting from above.  Will your employer expense your $120 per week coffee and drinking habit?  Or are you self-employed?   That is a $6k per year or $500 per month expense.  How much is that commission again?

Game Time Decision

Recently, after a round of golf, I was sitting around a table in the club talking and one of the guys starting to speak about his son and the soccer team he was on.  This gentlemen told us about a discussion he had with his son regarding his enjoyment, or lack thereof, with the team.

 

Apparently this kid is only playing about 6 to 8 minutes a game.  Because of this, the boy isn’t happy, doesn’t look forward to practice or the games.  His Father, in an understanding yet unsympathetic way told him, “You went out for the team, you made the team, you are unhappy with the time you play.  What you have to do is show the coach something special during practice to convince him to give you more game time.  You could quit, but you could also find that spark that made you go out for the team to begin with and make an effort to make it worthwhile.”

After hearing this, I started to think about how this applies to the business world as well.  We apply for a job, we get the job, but then we become bored, malcontent, and distracted.  Why?  Either we were given an assignment or task and fell short of expectations or we just “punch in” and “punch out” acting like we don’t care.  In both cases, the boss, manager, or coach hasn’t really seen you perform nor has reason to expect anything special out of you.

 

If you feel more distracted, distant, and on the verge of quitting, then find the spark that made you apply for the position and ask for opportunities to improve.  Perhaps there is a research project you could do, maybe you could tag along on a meeting or listen in on a conference call.  Just standing up and showing interest will make him/her consider you for the next opportunity.

In the end, this kid got some great advice from his father.  Hopefully, regardless of how he chooses to deal with the soccer team, he will have a great compass to guide him in his future endeavors.  This father could have been very compassionate, told him to quit, take him out for ice cream and all will be ok.  Instead, he picked up his son, dusted him off, and said try it again.

 

Whether you are a consultant, in sales, part of a team, there was a reason that you applied your skills in such a manner.  Make it worth your while as well as make your boss feel good about the decision he or she made in hiring you and get back in the game.

The Search

Recently I had the pleasure of returning to my Alma Mater on Homecoming weekend.  It is something I do just about every year.  However, with the economy and the job market being what it is, I couldn’t help but reflect back on how I chose to be an alumnus of this particular institution and compare it to how one goes about finding their next “project”?

By using the word project, I mean next job, next client, next endeavor?  Is it word of mouth, networking, social media, etc?  If so, think back to when you started your college search.  You were in high school, going to class, preparing and taking the SAT or some other test.  At any point were any of the methods described above employed in your search for a college?  I am going to say they were not used.  Not because the technology was not available to employ them or even because your teenage mind was not exposed to the concept of them, but rather it wasn’t the way to go about it.  Unless you were an amazing athlete, colleges were not seeking you out.  You had to search for them on your own.  And here you were not searching for a major or a program, but you were searching for an institution.  Searching for your next “endeavor” or project is no different.  You shouldn’t be searching for a position or a job, but rather a company.

Think about it.  When you started your college search how did you go about it?  You started by knowing there were about 3000 colleges.  How did you narrow it down?  There are large public and large private colleges (in the business world you might want to consider this equivalent to the Fortune 100).  There are mid sized public and private colleges and there are small, private schools as well.  While geography and finances may have played a part in your selection, it probably came down to what the right fit was for you and your personality.  Did you choose a large school for the challenge of becoming a big fish in a big pond, or for the anonymity you preferred in the large setting?  Did you choose the small school to be a big fish in a small pond or for the intimacy you found in smaller groups?  Whatever made you select the school of your choosing, remember that you selected them before they selected you.  So shouldn’t the same apply here?

Based on your personality, do you thrive in the city or in the country?  Do you like the benefits and cutting edge technology employed by larger firms or would you prefer to make an impact at a smaller firm?  Do you like being a part of a big machine or the family atmosphere of a boutique firm?  There is no right or wrong, but the similarities in how one searches for a college and a firm are undeniable.

Instead of finding a position and trying to fit into something that isn’t exactly you, why not start with the type of company you prefer and work your way into an opportunity.  To that end, would you want to be at the “main campus” or a “satellite campus”?  Do you want to attend Penn State at Happy Valley or Penn State Altoona?  Publically traded firms can be found on any number of lists.  Want the large, multi-national, equivalent of the Ivy League, then look at the Dow 30 Components.  Want a large business, look at the Fortune 500.  Want a small business, look at the Russell 2000.  Want private firms, seek out Dunn & Bradstreet lists or members of your greater city chamber of commerce.  You can make a list out of any qualifier; market cap, revenue, geography, industry, etc.  That being said, you can seek out a job or position by creating a list of few hundred, actively seek 10% of them at a time, and choose the one that is right for you.  If you have a product or service to offer, then create a list of a couple thousand, pursue a small percentage at a time, and you should wind up with a client list of 3,5 or even 10%.

Bottom line is that you sought them out before they selected you.  You didn’t just answer an ad, you created a need for them to want you.  

Can you get off the tee?

Can you get off the tee?  I have often thought that sports analogies work well for business.  That being said, sports have seasons and business is on-going. The time for training and practice is very limited as one seems to always be in the game. 

Golf, however, is a bit different.  While you can practice at the driving range, you cannot recreate the shots you actually face on the course.  You must adjust and combine practice shots within your actual round. As one that took up golf in his early 30’s, a young professional’s rite of passage, I find golf to be relevant to many aspects of business; especially in relationship building.

Golf is measured against par, the number of shots it should take you to complete the hole.  Typically there are par 3, par 4, and par 5 holes on a golf course with the majority (10 of 18) holes being par 4.  A par 4 hole is usually around 360 yards in length. Your tee shot should get you somewhere around 150 yards out from the center of the green.  Your second shot should put you on the green, and the next two strokes should be putts.  That being said, you probably do this in 3 strokes with a good finish; a one-putt.  If you don’t get on the green in 2 strokes or it takes you 3 putts to finish you will finish the hole in 5.

You might be wondering where all this leading.  The other day I was on the course and I could not get off the tee.  My tee shot never left me in a good place to finish a hole in par or better.  If you can’t get off the tee, you will almost never finish well.  Same can be said in networking, relationship building, sales, or client relations.  If your tee shot fades into the woods, you will most likely have to take a stroke to get back on the fairway and then proceed to the green.

To consistently get off the tee you must practice, concentrate, and execute.  And to build a successful relationship or generate a positive result in your endeavor requires that you also know how to not only drive the ball off the tee, but also hit off the fairway, out of the woods, out of the sand, pitching and chipping, and putting.  Furthermore, you will probably have to learn to “shape” your shots as well.  In light of all these shots you need to have in your “bag”, you need to have a good tee shot, good short game, good putting, and hit out of the bunkers.

Whether for individual purposes or for the betterment of your firm, a professional development program will improve your business success and get you off the tee. 

Reputation

An interesting topic came up last week during a conversation I was having with a colleague of mine. Given our profession as consultants we have clients. The question raised was “to what degree is our reputation based on our clients own reputation?”

The question wasn’t raised out of a political or ideological reputation, but out of a moral one. A defense attorney doesn’t really worry about the reputation of his client due to the adversarial nature of our judicial system. However, in a business environment do other potential clients consider the reputation of our existing client base or past client relations?

We often seek recommendations and referrals from our clients which create, bolsters, and foster our own reputations. But can it work in reverse as well? Are we damaged by the actions taken by our clients? Obviously if a potential client has a questionable reputation at the onset, then you should really deliberate and consider bringing them on as a client. But the question was posed to consider if an existing client starts to conduct himself in a less than scrupulous manner after you have taken him on.

I think the answer is found in the quality of our work. A good defense attorney will live to defend another day based on the quality of his litigation. I feel the same is true in the manner with which we provide our service. A disgruntled client has the potential to adversely impact the reputation of the firm. However I do not believe that a client, who has said nothing good nor bad, but about whom has developed a questionable reputation himself, can have any impact whatsoever.

Moreover, do your job. Do your job well. Let the chips fall where they may with regard to success or failure. Control that which is in your scope to control. The disgruntled client mentioned above could be that way based on three situations. The first situation is due to an error on your part. The second situation is due to an error in execution on his part. The third is due based on external outcomes which are determined neither by preparation nor execution.

In the end all you can do is say, I did the job I was hired to do. If you can honestly say that, then your reputation will be just fine.