Commercial maturity..things to think about
Whether we like it or not, respect plays a big part in achieving commercial maturity. When both a buyer and seller demonstrate this through attitude and actions, lasting beneficial relationships are formed.
When only one party demonstrates it frustration and disillusion fester in the background until they break through, and often break-up an otherwise good working relationship.
When neither party are capable of Commercial maturity, the result is a continuous stream of half-baked contracts, where distrust and conflict play a central role. Frequently neither party consider the relationship successful, and it breaks up, just to be repeated.
You will see a common theme throughout these blogs, that of what we call “Real intelligence” as opposed to “Artificial Intelligence”. Very rarely does business conform to the level of precedent and historical repetition, needed for an algorithm to “predict” an outcome. Business decisions are invariably subjective, and are better made upon access to sensible intelligence than from a single answer. Is one opportunity really better than another?..of course not, depending on the time, circumstances or market environment. We strongly advocate a level of commercial awareness that can make sense of automated data when available, but not to be slave to it.
These blogs are written to evoke thought, maybe even ruffle some feathers, but never are they intended to be insulting.
I hope you enjoy them, and please give us your feedback, views and counter views.
If you want to read more blogs check out our collaborative site www.togconseil.com
Strategy: Where do your responsibilities lie?
Selling: There’s more than one way to skin a cat
Selling: The problem with CRM is that it is…CRM
Selling: We need Account Managers…do you really?
Selling: How can I win with profitable pricing? (part 2 of 2)
Retaining competitive advantage is central to profitable pricing..
Selling: How can I maintain profitable pricing? (part 1 of 2)
Here we review an alternative way to generate consistent pricing and benchmarking
Strategy: Has your company outgrown you?
Growing a company can feel harder than starting it up. here we look at some reasons why.
Selling: I’m a Business Development Manager….really?
Giving someone a job title for the wrong reason can cause havoc and frustration. here’s one such example
Selling: You cant sell, if no-one NEEDs to buy
In business, identifying the buying motivation is a critical step in closing a deal.
Strategy: Don’t mention the E word
Rather than pretend you aren’t thinking about Exit options, leverage them to improve your negotiating position.
Sales management: Often the early bird really does get the worm!
It is very tempting to only assign resources to an opportunity that is well advanced; however this approach often leads to disappointment. Here we look at our options
Strategy: For SMEs it’s all about growth…or is it?
Frequently revenue growth is considered the most important indicator of a small company’s success. Reality says otherwise.
Selling: Yes, it is worth differentiating yourself even in a supply/demand driven market.
Even when you feel you are in a supply/demand market over which you have little control, it is still worth differentiating yourself from the crowd.
Selling: My challenge - How can I sell my services effectively via an Integrator?
When bidding via a third party or Integrator, its easy to think you have no power, but that doesnt have to be the case.
Selling: My challenge - Do I really want to be the contract holder?
Becoming the contract-holder overcomes lots of the frustrations of being a sub-contractor; but does it make strategic sense?, and is there a better way?
Selling: My challenge - How can I make prospecting more palatable?
Buying: My challenge - To pick the right suppliers without being taken advantage of
