Ideas@Work! - Strategies for Success

October 2, 2007

In this issue...
• Point to Ponder
• Think Like A CEO!
• Last minute thoughts and ideas
• Thanks for reading

Point to Ponder

Update on Hooey's High Adventure

How do you identify a superhero? How do you discover their secret identity? They don't always wear a costume. Many look just like ordinary people. Many are... and simply step up when needed.

Congrats to the 30 Edmonton Super Heros who confronted their fear of heights and scaled the outside of the Sutton Place Hotel on Sept 10^th in support of AB Easter Seals, 2nd annual Edmonton Drop Zone event. 

• Each of them found the courage to do what many would not; to ask for donations in support of the Drop Zone and to climb up and over the narrow ledge of a 27 story building.
• Each climbed up with hope and faith that their training session, their equipment and their support team would see them through.
• Each stepped off the roof and took personal leadership and control of their descent.
• Each took control of how fast they rappelled down that building.
• We raised over $36,000 as a team in Edmonton. 

I can’t speak for the other 29, but, for me it was a mental challenge more than a physical one for me. Several times on the way down I asked myself, "What was I thinking?" And each time I gave myself "a little" self-talk to remind ‘ME’ that I had support, the equipment was the best, and that, "It was for a great cause!"

As I shared later that evening at our Superhero celebration… "It is not so much that we conquer our fears, but more that we confront and challenge them as we work through them to reach our goal."

I was privileged to have raised $3200 to help Kids and Adults with disabilities here in Alberta. I did not accomplish it alone; I had the help of 44 people who made donations on my behalf, including some of our Ideas @ Work readers. Thanks! Visit our www.DropZoneBob.com website to see a list of these unsung heros who helped me.

Within each of us lies the capacity to be a Superhero… we just have to step up and step off.  We do this by taking personal leadership in our communities and our lives and in the many great causes in which we serve. Whether you are running for the cure, golfing, walking down a building, or any number of activites in support of a worth cause, I salute you. You are a real super hero and we need more of you.

Bob 'Idea Man' Hooey

aka, Batman of Egremont

Visit: www.DropZoneBob.com for additional pictures and some exciting raw video footage from this adventure.

Our plan is to take clips and create a short movie (might even upload to YouTube) we can use to share this adventure, recruit additional Drop Zoners and additional donations next year for this very worthwhile cause. Watch for that announcement.

PS: The Redwater Review ran this picture with the caption, Batman of Egremont. Evidently people read it, as I heard, "Hey, Batman," when I went to the local IGA last week.  Pictured with my friend, Darla Zuk, Special Events Co-ordinator for AB Easter Seals.

PSS: If you are like me, you have quite a few people approach you to donate. You can't help them all, but you can help some.  I challenge you to make the effort to help as much as you can this coming year. You'll be glad you did and so will the worthy causes you support.

Think Like A CEO!

by Paul Cherry

(Editor's note: Whether you are in sales or leading your own team give some thought to the questions Paul asks in his article. They might just give you some direction for your own success in either instance.)

The purchasing agent is on a roll. He hammered that sales rep on price only three minutes into their conversation. Five minutes later, the agent strutted into the CEO’s office like a peacock, proud of having squeezed the sales rep on price. But one month later, the peacock was molting as problems reared their ugly heads. The delivery was off by two days, and the quality check showed the product was sub-par—so now it’s the purchasing agent getting hammered by his boss, all because he was more interested in getting a low price than in getting the best value.

When you’re the sales rep in this situation, how do you regain control of the conversation when that purchasing agent is so darn fixated on the price tag? How do you help them foresee the ramifications and risks of holding out for the lowest price, forsaking great opportunities for a better value? Help the agent break out of that tunnel-vision mindset and see the value of your business solution.

The trouble is that, in many customers’ minds, value and price are one and the same. How do you make them understand that the words "value" and "price" aren’t synonyms, that the lowest price doesn’t necessarily equal the highest value for their dollars? Asking the right questions can help you to make your customers look beyond the price tag and see the real value of your products and business solutions.

HOW TO SPEAK CEO-ESE

Does the sweat drip down your face at the very thought of talking with a CEO? Does sparring with stubborn purchasing agents seem like a day at the beach by comparison? You’re not alone — many salespeople get nervous when talking to CEOS and company presidents, because they’re not sure what to talk about. These salespeople put the CEOs on a pedestal, thinking "These people are so busy, and I’m just a schlepper salesperson. What am I doing here?" They keep getting pushed back down, referred to lower-level decision-makers, probably because they zeroed in on analysis and feature/benefit selling instead of concentrating on the big picture that interests the CEO. The trick is to think like a CEO, not an analyst!

QUESTIONS FOR DIALOGUE WITH THE CEO

Every CEO constantly assesses his competition to survive. By the same token, every CEO must keep on top of trends affecting his industry in order to thrive. Your best bet for engaging the top decision-makers is to ask questions about these two crucial aspects of business—and if you speak with the quiet confidence of a CEO, you’ll impress the purchasing agent enough to get an audience.

You don’t need to launch into a spiel about your products and services right off the bat. Tailor your questions to focus on the kind of business results your customer seeks to reach his goals and rise to the challenges his company faces. The following questions will get him focused on the future while critically analyzing his present situation; he’ll have to ask himself, "Can I get where I want to go with what I have now?" No matter what the answer is, helping him to face that question will prove valuable to his business and yours as he looks to you as a forward-thinking advisor. Here’s what to ask in order to engage the CEO and get into his mindset.

• "As you reflect back over the past 5 years, what do you feel has been the biggest contributing factor to your (the company’s) success?"
• "In the next three years, what do you think your greatest opportunity will be?"
• "In the next three years, who do you think will emerge as your biggest threat?"
• "What do you think truly differentiates your company from all the other choices out there?"
• "Which of your product’s or service’s strengths will allow you to continue your success?"
• "How do you picture the direction of your industry in five years? Ten years?"
• "What change could cut into your share of the market?
• "How does the aging of the baby boomer generation (or any applicable trend) affect your share of the market?"
• "How does your company measure progress?"
• "Are you planning on initiating any integration with other companies?"
• "How does your company see itself today? How has it changed over the last five years? Where would it like to be in the next five years?"
• "How does your company approach change?"
• "What pending legislation (or market conditions, competitive threats, demographic trends, organizational changes, etc.) could change the way you do business?"
• "What are the market forces you’re most concerned about?"
• "How is your company addressing the competitive pressures of the market?"
• "What issues do you think your company must address or overcome in order to be more successful? What specific steps or actions will you need to take?
• "Describe your goals to increase market share. What’s working well for you? What isn’t?"

A typical salesperson wants to get down to the details and connect with the big decision-makers. But their time is at a premium, so you’re in danger of disconnecting from a big-picture thinker’s wavelength if you try tactical approaches such as qualifying or closing. The way to connect with them and demonstrate your worth is by asking the right questions, zeroing in on what’s important to them. Asking big-picture thinkers the big picture questions will tune you into their mindset, with faster and greater results.

© 2007 Paul Cherry, Performance Based Results. Used with Paul's kind permission. Follow link to order his book.

PS: Think I will take a leaf from Paul's book when I chat with the CEO's and CIO's etc in Denver next week. Hmm... "Think like a CEO"

Last minute thoughts and ideas

Pic: Successfully on the ground after rappelling 27 stories.

September was superlative (highlights)

• Facilitated a strategic planning meeting with Community Futures Peace County board and staff. (Kelsay and her great team in a great place. Nice to see Northern Alberta.)
• Drop Zone (whew!)
• Eye surgery (20/20 plus is the bonus after cataract surgery.)
• Jill Lublin's Crash Course in Publicity. (Thanks Jill, I learned a lot.)
• Biz Link's Beyond Borders USA in Calgary and Lethbridge. (Erin and her team did an awesome job. I learned a lot and had the invitation to Denver.)
• Kelly and Christine's wedding on the 29th. What a delightful day with two amazing people and their respective families, who have kindly adopted me. Funny, my eyes developed a leak during the service itself. I had the priviledge of Emceeing their reception.

So many additional fun and focused success points. Too many to share here.

October opens lots of doors: Going to be a very engaging and focused month

Oct. 2nd: Edmonton, AB. Hoping to get enough done today, so I can attend my friend Wayne Lee's "Go for More" evening seminar. Wayne is a great friend and an even greater performer. (I think it is sold out, but you can ask.)

October 8th: Thanksgiving with friends and family followed by a quick dash to catch my 6PM flight to Denver. Remember to take the time to appreciate the richness and wealth of people in your life as well as what you have accomplished.

Oct 9-12: Denver, CO. Canadian Trade Mission and involvement in CSIA's DemoGala2007 to share our Secret Selling Tips service to 900 plus Colorado CEO's, CIO's, and other technology leaders. 55 tecnology companies (inlcuding 9 Canadian) have been invited to display.

Their theme is intensity, innovation and inspiration and we feel, as does the Canadian Trade Comissioner, that we are leveraging technology in this innovative and inspirational service to engage and equip sales teams.

I have been invited to participate and display our innovative tecnology-supported "Secret Selling Tips," sales leaders success program. We will be keeping it very simple due to the short period of time for preparation. I am looking forward to meeting Colorado leaders who want to help their sales forces become more effective and profitable. Consulate General of Canada is hosting a special reception (9th) to introduce those Canadian technology companies who will be at the CSIA event. Wow!

Oct 13: Edmonton, AB. I will have the privilege of sharing a few thoughts and ideas gathered from a decade of experiences at CAPS Edmonton chapter. Entitling my challenging presentation, "What you don't know can hurt you!"

If you are in the Edmonton area, and ever wondered about becoming a professional speaker, come visit. There is no charge for visitors for this (Oct. 13th) meeting, as it is our AGM. It should be a great morning.

Oct 13: Edmonton, AB. Study Group meeting following lunch.

Oct. 15th: Calgary, AB. Meeting, that morning, with one of my successful bidders in the CAPS joint meeting in Alberta. (Unless, a hold I have for a Toronto based Energy Company confirms this week. In that case, I will be working with them on Tuesday the 16th and morning of the 17th and travelling on the 15th.)

Oct. 15th: Calgary, AB. Attending CAPS Calgary evening meeting with special guests and superb speakers W. Mitchell and Scott Freedman.

Oct. 18th: Grande Prairie, AB. Looking forward to facilitating a teamwork session for Community Futures Grande Prairie.

Oct 23rd: Edmonton, AB. Edmonton Chamber of Commerce, special Wine and Cheese seminar for Small Business Week. I've been scheduled to share a session based on my innovative Secret Selling Tips program as a special guest for this event. Program is called: Secrets Top Selling Professionals Use to Work Smarter, Make More Money, and Have More Fun. Event: 5:30-7:30PM at the World Trade Centre.

Small business Week in Alberta: Bob's video on productive use of time is featured on-line at the Business Link for this event, along with some talented friends and fellow speakers.

Oct. 25th: Edmonton, AB. Working with a leadership team from the Redwater Agrium Plant.

Nov 2-4: Calgary, AB. District 42's Cruise to Success fall conference. Some great CAPS Edmonton and CAPS Calgary speakers providing ed sessions as well as my District 21 fellow past DG, Judy Laythorpe.

Thanks for reading

Bob 'Idea Man' Hooey would be pleased to be a part of your success team and to work with you for your conference, meeting, or training event. For more information about customized keynotes, professional/personal leadership training and coaching, seminars/retreats, please visit www.ideaman.net or call our Creative Office at: (780) 736-0009

Ask about a customized conference inspirational keynotes, coaching or training packages to suit your specific career, company, or organizational needs.

PS: Picture is Bob with his 94 year old buddy Steve at Kelly (grandson) and Christine's wedding. Bob shared, when asked what motivates him... "Any morning I get up, look across the yards and see Steve's light come on, is a good one."

Thanks again to our amazing webmaster and proof reader, Irene Gaudet, who also acts as photographer and videographer from time to time. You continue to inspire me and to support what we are doing in serving our readers and clients. Thanks!

*****

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