Here it is – footage from Tampa. We had over 70 attendees representing 36 companies – so far 21 commitments to take the next step. Educating your clients continues to be the best approach to uncovering needs and demonstrating value. Call me today to find out how to get started. I will also be doing a workshop in the fall, sharing the secrets of educational events with the goal of helping you build a program for your own company. Location is likely to be Charlotte NC – let me know if you have interest in attending (dates are yet to be announced).
Archive for March, 2010
In the second half of this interview Nate and Kelly ask the killer question…”what about cloud computing?” Listen in and see what I say about it.
29
Mar
10
Tampa Event – Post Interview
Last week’s educational event in Tampa was exceptional (sponsored by Sonicwall and Fortinet, along with Microsoft)! With over 70 attendees – all decision makers and spouses, we were able to educate area business leaders on the risks associated with data loss and misuse. Following this event, the owners of Network People interviewed me to review some of key points brought out over our event dinner keynote. This type of interview provides an excellent recap for attendees, as well as something to send out as a reminder of the issues at hand…something everyone should be doing to create follow-up momentum after such an event. Listen in and see how you can apply this same type of value to your clients.
25
Mar
10
Been fired lately?
This could be your defining moment…What do Scott McNealy, Steven Spielberg, Harold Varmus (winner of the Nobel Prize in Medicine), and Warren Buffett have in common? They were all rejected from their college of choice. Bill Gates and Ted Turner attended but didn’t graduate. Interesting article in yesterday’s Wall Street Journal – these people all speak of their defining moment. It reminded me of the time I was fired…not laid off, but down right fired! This was a defining moment that led to the greatest success of my life, and that is how these people, rejected from their school of choice see it as well. This type of event may cause you to feel rejected, like a lost sale or missed promotion…or, it may change your life. It’s your choice. My response; I created the most exciting interviewing process I’ve ever seen – presenting thought leadership ideas to business leaders rather than searching for job adds. This created a platform for my current business! It was so exciting I wanted to spend the rest of my life job hunting…but given multiple job opportunities and the desire for a paycheck, I accepted one, going to work for a nationwide integrator. My response led to, “I started my company today”. Rather than dwelling on rejection, I turned it into an opportunity. I’ve never looked back. Not only have I enjoyed these past seven years more than any other time in my life as a professional, but it has also been the most profitable stint of my career. Whether you’ve lost a big deal, lost a job, or something of greater value, how you respond makes all the difference in the world. The irony is that I was eventually hired me back to consult and train their sales team.
It’s tax season – it reminds me of the ROI sale. Even if there is an ROI to be had, there are at least three problems with it:
1. First, you can’t count on the client using your product or service the right way – don’t count on them actually realizing any ROI.
2. Most of the sales people I know, cannot articulate financial justification well enough to be credible in front of a financial officer. Let face it, if you’re not reading financials on a daily basis, you’re not going to know your way around a mid-market or enterprise level PNL…oh, did I mean P&L? Some don’t know the difference.
3. But most importantly, sales are emotional. To call into question financial numbers, operating costs, and bottom-line return, is to push your client into an analytical, left brain mode – one that get’s wrapped up in analysis, leaving the emotion of the moment; a mindset opposed to spending unbudgeted dollars.
22
Mar
10
Just a Minute!
16
Mar
10
The Most Effective Marketing!
The most effective marketing programs leverage video and events….in this event we had over 75 attendees, many involved in key decision making roles with a common goal to keep their businesses running and profitable. At the start of the event, just like in most sales calls, most of these people felt like they had their IT infrastructure under control. By using effective messaging, real world examples, and compelling customer attraction stories, this audience’s response was clear – they wanted to take another look! Education around compelling events produces the opportunity to help people…by putting it in video form, the sponsoring solution provider can use this video to attract new prospects! Sponsors included Sonicwall, Symantec, Microsoft, Cisco, and others.
© David Stelzl 2010
15
Mar
10
Irresistible Justification
Don’t forget – this Friday is the first of the 2010 Teleseminar Series. Assessments are one of the strongest motivators when considering budgets and what to buy. Risk being the number one motivator when dealing with business decision makers. Unfortunately this tool has been often misused and misunderstood. I hear questions like; should we do this for free or charge? How much do we charge? Who needs to be involved – what if we can’t get the economic buyer involved?
LEARN:
- Three types of assessments – which one to sell if you want more business
- Exactly what the buyer will want to see
- How to justify the assessment – and how to justify the next step
- How to price it and when to give it away
- What to include in the deliverable and where the sales person must participate
- What to include in the deliverable and what it should look like
- How to turn it into an ongoing subscription service
- How to present your findings to make sure they’re heard and to ensure you get budget to take the next step
- How to move this to managed services
When complementary work is performed, the results are often wasted – delegated down to IT and operations people who may not take the time to read the report and will not have the ability to approve budgets. All of these questions and more will be addressed in this weeks event! Don’t miss it…this is the fastest way to build your pipeline for the coming quarter!
When: this Friday at 11:30 am edt
Registration: http://www.stelzl.us/business_strategy_TeleS.asp
