Remember...seriously, if you can. Don't end sentences with a preposition like I just did in the title above.
Craig Hodges
Dover, NH
603-343-4573 (office)
603-205-6983 (cell)
craighodges@yahoo.com
and..
www,BuildPPS.com
craig@BuildPPS.com
Friday, November 13, 2009
Where ya been?
If you really want to rip the covers off here, most of these listed companies I've done some type of business development for which I was paid. My efforts for the majority of these organizations was as a vendor/independent contractor.
I've also done short and longer term gigs for numerous smaller companies you've never heard of...so they don't get their names in bright lights.
Citrix
Dell Computers
EBSCO
GE Capital
Harris Semiconductor
Intel
Microsoft
Motorola
Oracle
Polymedica
Progress Software
Robert Half
Salesforce.com
Sherwin Williams
Texas Instruments
Time Warner
I've also done short and longer term gigs for numerous smaller companies you've never heard of...so they don't get their names in bright lights.
Citrix
Dell Computers
EBSCO
GE Capital
Harris Semiconductor
Intel
Microsoft
Motorola
Oracle
Polymedica
Progress Software
Robert Half
Salesforce.com
Sherwin Williams
Texas Instruments
Time Warner
How Much??.
Client: So..I hear you're a house painter?
Me: Yup...Indeed.
Client: Well...I own a house.
Me: Man...that is tremendous. I like Shelter...think it's important.
Client: And it needs to be painted!!
Me: You don't say?
Client: How much would you charge me to paint my house?
Me: I don't know...I need to see the house.
Client: Ah...yeah...I guess that makes sense.
Me: It really does..
I hate when I ask somebody what something costs and they can't give me a direct answer...HATE IT. And salesreps are always told by their "senior mentors" to "never give price until you can sell value first". That's garbage.
But sometimes the above dialog is a reality.
We have NO idea where you are as an organization looking to develop new business. Or if you're looking to acquire a company or are thinking about shopping yours, the number of "unknowns" is innumerable. Talking about price and rates before a detailed discussion (and signed NDA's) is stupidity.
What does your Target Account List look like? Why are these companies on your Target List? (We'd LOVE to break into General Electric!!..they spend ALOT on what we provide!!.) What worked in previous marketing and sales campaigns? What do prospective clients tell you WHEN THEY CHOOSE A COMPETITOR over you? Tell me a little about your vendor partners. Have you thought about acquiring a company (and their customers) as opposed to slower, organic new client growth?
I could could type another 30 questions, easy...I think you get it.
BALLPARK!!!! I NEED A BALLPARK NUMBER, DAMNIT, OR THIS CONVERSATION IS DONE!!
Fair.
I charge NOTHING when working as a Recruiter. The company that ends up hiring you pays.
I charge between $500 and $1,200 a day as a Contractor. New Customer Acquistion programs lives in the $500 a day neighborhood; Mergers and Acquisitions experience and expertise is in the McMansion part of town. Performance guarantees/bonuses, Upside Agreements,expenses,agreed-upon success benchmarks, yada, yada. We'll mutually agree upon that stuff...or we won't.
We need to "see the house". With your help and heavy early-stage involvement, we'll agree on numbers where everybody is happy.
Me: Yup...Indeed.
Client: Well...I own a house.
Me: Man...that is tremendous. I like Shelter...think it's important.
Client: And it needs to be painted!!
Me: You don't say?
Client: How much would you charge me to paint my house?
Me: I don't know...I need to see the house.
Client: Ah...yeah...I guess that makes sense.
Me: It really does..
I hate when I ask somebody what something costs and they can't give me a direct answer...HATE IT. And salesreps are always told by their "senior mentors" to "never give price until you can sell value first". That's garbage.
But sometimes the above dialog is a reality.
We have NO idea where you are as an organization looking to develop new business. Or if you're looking to acquire a company or are thinking about shopping yours, the number of "unknowns" is innumerable. Talking about price and rates before a detailed discussion (and signed NDA's) is stupidity.
What does your Target Account List look like? Why are these companies on your Target List? (We'd LOVE to break into General Electric!!..they spend ALOT on what we provide!!.) What worked in previous marketing and sales campaigns? What do prospective clients tell you WHEN THEY CHOOSE A COMPETITOR over you? Tell me a little about your vendor partners. Have you thought about acquiring a company (and their customers) as opposed to slower, organic new client growth?
I could could type another 30 questions, easy...I think you get it.
BALLPARK!!!! I NEED A BALLPARK NUMBER, DAMNIT, OR THIS CONVERSATION IS DONE!!
Fair.
I charge NOTHING when working as a Recruiter. The company that ends up hiring you pays.
I charge between $500 and $1,200 a day as a Contractor. New Customer Acquistion programs lives in the $500 a day neighborhood; Mergers and Acquisitions experience and expertise is in the McMansion part of town. Performance guarantees/bonuses, Upside Agreements,expenses,agreed-upon success benchmarks, yada, yada. We'll mutually agree upon that stuff...or we won't.
We need to "see the house". With your help and heavy early-stage involvement, we'll agree on numbers where everybody is happy.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
But Fear Itself...
Imagine the suspension or temporary loss of the lifestyle you now have?
Notice I didn't use the phrase "loss of job" or "loss of income". I also didn't use "lifestyle you enjoy" because, c'mon now. Having fun yet?
That fear COMPLETELY runs your life. It's why when your bosses boss makes a joke, you pretend it's hilarious. How's that feel?
It's why when your supervisor tells you to do something that's WAY out of alignment with what you KNOW is truth...you do it anyway. You do that stuff every day. You're a team player, right? Pah-leeeeease.
You've got a family to feed, you've got children to educate, you've got elderly parents who are or will soon be leaning on you, right? Check, check and check here too. (And man oh man, this message is not being delivered from a Glass House...I've been that guy before...FOR YEARS...though I never laughed at the joke from the Sr. VP of Strategic Paradigm Leveraging).
I was raised working class in a close-knit upper-middle class town on the Northshore of Boston. A couple dozen of my close friends W2 at 200K and up every year....in some cases, WAY up. I've known these people since elementary school and we were at each others weddings. We talk...and they tell me things..often they tell me things I don't want to know. They are GREAT providers, good people and- more often than not- are just trying to do the right thing.
The difference between the financial independence mindset and the typical corporate salaried high-income earner is often the difference between Tiger Woods and me accidentally destroying a golf course.
(I should add "self-made" to 'financial independence'. Most Trust Fund kids-turned adult arrive in the biggest boat with a closet full of pharmaceuticals to make them feel better).
You hear that "..tick, tick, tick."? You know what that sound is.
Notice I didn't use the phrase "loss of job" or "loss of income". I also didn't use "lifestyle you enjoy" because, c'mon now. Having fun yet?
That fear COMPLETELY runs your life. It's why when your bosses boss makes a joke, you pretend it's hilarious. How's that feel?
It's why when your supervisor tells you to do something that's WAY out of alignment with what you KNOW is truth...you do it anyway. You do that stuff every day. You're a team player, right? Pah-leeeeease.
You've got a family to feed, you've got children to educate, you've got elderly parents who are or will soon be leaning on you, right? Check, check and check here too. (And man oh man, this message is not being delivered from a Glass House...I've been that guy before...FOR YEARS...though I never laughed at the joke from the Sr. VP of Strategic Paradigm Leveraging).
I was raised working class in a close-knit upper-middle class town on the Northshore of Boston. A couple dozen of my close friends W2 at 200K and up every year....in some cases, WAY up. I've known these people since elementary school and we were at each others weddings. We talk...and they tell me things..often they tell me things I don't want to know. They are GREAT providers, good people and- more often than not- are just trying to do the right thing.
The difference between the financial independence mindset and the typical corporate salaried high-income earner is often the difference between Tiger Woods and me accidentally destroying a golf course.
(I should add "self-made" to 'financial independence'. Most Trust Fund kids-turned adult arrive in the biggest boat with a closet full of pharmaceuticals to make them feel better).
You hear that "..tick, tick, tick."? You know what that sound is.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
How Much?
I vividly recall being in a vendor trade show booth as a young buck. A passerby with a virtual trashbag full of free marketing refuse stopped in to speak with me.
She asked me what a particular product cost....I told her.
I was immediately pounced on by a "seasoned sales veteran" of my company. "NEVER, EVER tell them the price!!!" he roared at me. He then explained how we must, on the spot, create the time and opportunity to sell VALUE first. VALUE, VALUE, NEVER, EVER he bellowed again.
In the fancy-pants parlance of the prestigious, tier-one consulting firms, my colleague is technically known as "an idiot".
There will be times where somebody-usually a customer- will ask you the price point blank. Got a relationship with them?...great, go ahead and jovially ask them "Are you buying on price again, Fred?.." (Make sure their name is Fred). Joke with them that you hear the sound of somebody kicking some tires.
We always want to sell value first, preferably right away. But if a customer or a prospective customer asks you what something costs...especially if it has a list price/SKU, tell them. Otherwise you lump yourself in with the untold millions of other salespeople...the type of salespeople that we all want to avoid.
If what you sell is a service, give em' the ol' housepainter example. Tell them a housepainter can't quote a price without thoroughly examining the house.
It's been my considerable experience that the "How Much" people very rarely buy a thing. Just tell them.
She asked me what a particular product cost....I told her.
I was immediately pounced on by a "seasoned sales veteran" of my company. "NEVER, EVER tell them the price!!!" he roared at me. He then explained how we must, on the spot, create the time and opportunity to sell VALUE first. VALUE, VALUE, NEVER, EVER he bellowed again.
In the fancy-pants parlance of the prestigious, tier-one consulting firms, my colleague is technically known as "an idiot".
There will be times where somebody-usually a customer- will ask you the price point blank. Got a relationship with them?...great, go ahead and jovially ask them "Are you buying on price again, Fred?.." (Make sure their name is Fred). Joke with them that you hear the sound of somebody kicking some tires.
We always want to sell value first, preferably right away. But if a customer or a prospective customer asks you what something costs...especially if it has a list price/SKU, tell them. Otherwise you lump yourself in with the untold millions of other salespeople...the type of salespeople that we all want to avoid.
If what you sell is a service, give em' the ol' housepainter example. Tell them a housepainter can't quote a price without thoroughly examining the house.
It's been my considerable experience that the "How Much" people very rarely buy a thing. Just tell them.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
I Object, Your Honor.
Young people getting into sales are still trained to hammer people who tell them they are not interested. Didn't that ethos disappear shortly after the atmosphere was forming and the Earth cooled?
It didn't. And, as companies get more desperate with slumping sales, many are telling their salesforce "not to take no for an answer". It's pathetic.
I have recently been VERY near three Fortune 500 companies who still teach this. Just three days ago, I had an experience with a mobile phone carrier who still thinks this constitutes clever tactics. (I won't say their name but it rhymes with ""Flint Bextel").
They don't call it "hammering", of course. It's called "overcoming objections". Many mentors/trainers still ascribe to the "you must hear five(5) no's" before you should stop. I'm not kidding. So why is it, exactly, the average consumer/buyer loathes salespeople?
By all means, if you're working with a customer who you know and have at least a business relationship with, probe aplenty. You've earned that right. They're so busy, half the time you know more about their needs than they do. But even if they adore you, customers often will reflexively say "no" before they even understand what they are saying 'no' to.
If you are talking to strangers..prospecting, it's different.
If you're forced to make cold-call telemarketing calls, don't do this. Not only will you fail miserably, you'll feel pretty lousy about yourself and what you do for a living. Cold calling can actually work...if you've got some SERIOUS phone skills and the people on the other line are in the market (or will be soon).
It didn't. And, as companies get more desperate with slumping sales, many are telling their salesforce "not to take no for an answer". It's pathetic.
I have recently been VERY near three Fortune 500 companies who still teach this. Just three days ago, I had an experience with a mobile phone carrier who still thinks this constitutes clever tactics. (I won't say their name but it rhymes with ""Flint Bextel").
They don't call it "hammering", of course. It's called "overcoming objections". Many mentors/trainers still ascribe to the "you must hear five(5) no's" before you should stop. I'm not kidding. So why is it, exactly, the average consumer/buyer loathes salespeople?
By all means, if you're working with a customer who you know and have at least a business relationship with, probe aplenty. You've earned that right. They're so busy, half the time you know more about their needs than they do. But even if they adore you, customers often will reflexively say "no" before they even understand what they are saying 'no' to.
If you are talking to strangers..prospecting, it's different.
If you're forced to make cold-call telemarketing calls, don't do this. Not only will you fail miserably, you'll feel pretty lousy about yourself and what you do for a living. Cold calling can actually work...if you've got some SERIOUS phone skills and the people on the other line are in the market (or will be soon).
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Lessons From Boston-area Blizzards
"All non-essential State Employees STAY HOME"
A buddy of mine and I, whose worldview is consistent with my own, marvel at that line. It is uttered over the airwaves here in New England every year when we get really pounded with snow.
"Hi...my name is Gary Dornhopper, I work for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, my check clears every two weeks though I get called MANY names...including NON-ESSENTIAL".
There's a joke here, obviously...but is there?
Switch over to the private sector of the economy for a moment. Are you considered an "Essential Employee"? Probably not. Unless you are REALLY, REALLY GOOD at making the stuff, supporting the stuff or selling the stuff, you might want to wait on that little cottage you were thinking of buying up in Maine. (Oh, aside from the above mentioned, make sure you know the rules of "the game" and play them until your nose is the color of a UPS Truck).
This sounds like a complaint. It's not. It's reality and, quite frankly, it's probably what's best for most companies. I've worked at companies of all sizes and most people spend most of their days/daze not working!
If you're not very good at your job OR you can't stomach "the game", not to worry.
You're almost certainly pretty damn good at something in which others will be willing to pay you to do it. It may mean working for another employer or working for yourself. Yes, you're going to have to put the cottage in Maine on hold for awhile and possibly settle for a reasonably comfortable off-site tree fort but, hey, times are a changin'.
A buddy of mine and I, whose worldview is consistent with my own, marvel at that line. It is uttered over the airwaves here in New England every year when we get really pounded with snow.
"Hi...my name is Gary Dornhopper, I work for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, my check clears every two weeks though I get called MANY names...including NON-ESSENTIAL".
There's a joke here, obviously...but is there?
Switch over to the private sector of the economy for a moment. Are you considered an "Essential Employee"? Probably not. Unless you are REALLY, REALLY GOOD at making the stuff, supporting the stuff or selling the stuff, you might want to wait on that little cottage you were thinking of buying up in Maine. (Oh, aside from the above mentioned, make sure you know the rules of "the game" and play them until your nose is the color of a UPS Truck).
This sounds like a complaint. It's not. It's reality and, quite frankly, it's probably what's best for most companies. I've worked at companies of all sizes and most people spend most of their days/daze not working!
If you're not very good at your job OR you can't stomach "the game", not to worry.
You're almost certainly pretty damn good at something in which others will be willing to pay you to do it. It may mean working for another employer or working for yourself. Yes, you're going to have to put the cottage in Maine on hold for awhile and possibly settle for a reasonably comfortable off-site tree fort but, hey, times are a changin'.
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