Info Overload

I find that it’s a challenge these days to stay on top of everything and I’m actually a contributor to the problem for others. The volume of emails, e-newsletters, blog feeds and the like is overwhelming at times. Let’s just call this e-info. Maybe it should be i-info… whatever.

I’m an information junkie and I love to learn so I have a tendency to want to dive into everything that comes my way. This isn’t necessarily good. It’s a distraction from getting more important things done. Then, add e-info forwarded to me from people in my network, all with good intent, to what I get from things I’ve subscribed to or given permission for and it’s WAY TOO MUCH! The ones that really annoy me though are the e-newsletters that show up in my inbox from someone I met once, barely know and never gave permission to send me anything. They never asked and that’s a no-no.

So lately, I’ve been pulling the plug on useless communiqués and unsubscribing to a number of things. I’m trying to focus more on ones that address my personal and professional interest areas, like social media and online marketing. If you’re like me, you may want to do the same- delete/ cancel/ unsubscribe to the distractions of the things that keep you from doing your real work. You only have so many minutes each day to pour into your business.

© 2009 Peter E. McDowell

PERFORMA Business Development

Different View/ Different Results

pete@performabusdev.com

Web @ http://www.performabusdev.com

Find and connect with Pete on Linked In, Facebook, Twitter and Plaxo

Info Overload

It’s a challenge these days to stay on top of everything…the volume of emails, e-newsletters, blog feeds and the like is overwhelming.

Turn Crisis Into Opportunity

OK, I just read an article, an interview actually, from the February 2^nd issue of Fortune magazine. The interview is with Jim Collins, author of Built To Last and Good To Great, among other publishings.

Here’s the link: http://money.cnn.com/2009/01/15/news/companies/Jim_Collins_Crisis.fortune/index.htm

The article is one I can identify with because I keep advising CEO’s and others that ultimately it’s how you articulate, live and breathe your organization’s DNA that makes a difference. DNA can be expressed in a well thought out Mission Statement (and, Values and Vision). It’s what drives your organization forward and is exhibited in the strategies you develop and the way you behave to execute them. My belief is that most companies large and small want to been seen as a good place to work.

Great companies are super consistent in their beliefs and intentions and they hang on them whether times are good or bad. They don’t waiver when times really get tough. Their core values carry them through a crisis. They highly value the abilities, skills, talents and contributions of their people to navigate through challenges and to take them to the next level. They are so in tune with their DNA that they exude a confidence in times when other companies are nervous and unsure. This confidence propels them to even greater performance.

If you haven’t read Jim’s books, you should. For sure, you should read this interview.

© 2009 Peter E. McDowell

PERFORMA Business Development

Different View/ Different Results

pete@performabusdev.com

Web @ http://www.performabusdev.com

Blog @ http://petemcd.wordpress.com/

Find and connect with Pete on Linked In, Facebook, Twitter and Plaxo

Turn Crisis Into Opportunity

Great companies are super consistent in their beliefs and intentions and they hang on them whether times are good or bad. They don’t waiver when times really get tough. Their core values carry them through a crisis.

Responding to pressure

Yesterday was the annual Super Bowl blow out party day. Oh yeah, there was a football game also- a darned good one at that. One of the things that impressed me in the game was the ability of players and coaches on both teams to step up and deliver under pressure with so much on the line.

If you watched the game, you saw this on a number of occasions. Here are just a few:

1. When the Cardinals were about ready to score at the end of the first half and the Pittsburgh defender stepped in at the goal line, intercepted a pass and returned it 100 yards for a touchdown. This could have been a game changer and caused the Cardinals to buckle- they didn’t as they came back in the second half;
2. When the Cardinals were down with under three minutes remaining in the game, they had to score a touchdown to take the lead and they did in dramatic fashion with a long play;
3. Following that the Steelers had to score at least a field goal to tie the game and send it into overtime- they scored a touchdown with seconds left.

Why did these teams perform so well and how does it relate to your business? I have a few thoughts.

One, they practice, practice, practice. They know their plays, they practice situation drills, they practice specific techniques, and they practice options when things go awry. What would happen if they took the field and just improvised and ‘winged it’ on every play. It would be chaos. Now, some improvising is done on each play, but the players know they need to perform the way they practiced. An example would be a play where a receiver makes a cut on his route and just as he turns the ball is there. The quarterback threw it to a specific spot seconds before, to arrive right on time. Without practice, that level of preciseness and execution couldn’t happen.

So, in your business, do you or your sales people continually practice your sales conversation skills? Do you practice role plays? Do you practice how to greet people genuinely in order to build trust quickly? Do you practice how to deliver your elevator pitch so that others get what you do, understand your value proposition and actually see the value? Do you practice specific situations or scenarios before you go into a major account strategy? Do you have contingency options in case the conversation takes another tack? I could go on and on. The point is to make practicing your craft a regular part of your sales development efforts.

Two, each player knows his role and how it fits into the overall scheme to make things work better. When the pressure is high, the importance of specific roles is high. Everyone has an assignment. They have to know where they need to be, how they need to act or behave, and how they relate to others. When you’re being challenged as the incumbent in an account or trying to acquire a new major account the pressure is high also. You need to make sure that you have the right resources available to win.

If you need to bring in your customer service director to address service issues, do so. If you’re not the owner of a business but you need your owner there to make a critical decision, bring that person in. If you need your Controller or CFO to participate to help in financial aspects of a contract bring him or her in. Don’t play the lone ranger and try to get the score yourself. Use other role players, experts in your business, to help. If you’re in sales, know what your role is. Your role is to be seen by your customers and prospects, and your own people, as someone who has their act together and has done the homework necessary to establish or continue the business relationship- to drive business commerce. You are the one who has to get the right role players gathered and make sure everyone knows their role.

Three, they are super focused. Sure, they are focused on the big goal of winning the game but they are always focused on one play at a time- the current play. They know that what they do next influences what happens in the long run. They focus on first things first. So, they put all of their concentration into doing a great job on the job at hand. It’s also similar in golf. You can’t be thinking about your putt if you are on the tee. Focus on what is in front of you.

When you bring a level of high focus to your work, when you really zero in on the task(s) at hand, you will not only do better work, but you will actually do it with less pressure. If you’re thinking about the pressure and all the related problems then you aren’t thinking about what you need to do right now. Think about what needs to be done, do it well, and the rest will take care of itself.

So, to deal with pressure, practice regularly and seriously, know your role and other’s roles, and focus hard on the most important tasks to get the job done.

© 2009 Peter E. McDowell

PERFORMA Business Development

Different View/ Different Results

pete@performabusdev.com

Web @ http://www.performabusdev.com

Find and connect with Pete on Linked In, Facebook, Twitter and Plaxo