Appleton Associates Ltd blog
What a great quote!
I forgot how much I love this quote, "In Europe, most companies struggle not in their attempts to be innovative or creative. Most of them struggle because they undervalue the importance of professional selling" - Sir John Harvey-Jones
posted by Appleton Associates Ltd at
Thursday, 13 September 2007
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What separates winners from losers?
I am often asked this question by my clients and it was asked of me yesterday, so last night I decided to have a look on the web for some new thoughts on this topic. I came across this article on more than 1 site, so I decided to share it with you all courtesy of my blog.
What separates winners from losers?
This question was the impetus behind the creation of Hoovers Inc. the business and enterprise information directory founded by Gary Hoover. Hoover's quest began at the age of 12 when he first subscribed to 'Fortune' magazine which then led him to visit hundreds of corporate offices before he was 18. Citing 'Federal Express' as an example, Hoover said, "Very few companies who are first are best," and his research led him to identify eight characteristics that are integral to business success
1. Curiosity "Look to the future for upcoming trends," Hoover says, but "you can only look as far forward as you look backward."
2. People who build successful enterprises have a sense of history. "Learn from the experiences of those who preceded us"
3. It is important to have a sense of geography too. "The world is smaller, but it is more important to understand what is going on right around the corner."
4. "Study, learn how things change through time and space, and get a real sense of your context," Hoover advises and then articulate a clear vision. "Adopt a third grade vision so everyone can understand"
5. Consistency "More enterprises have failed because they changed than those who failed to change" Hoover attributed Sears' decline in the retail market to "taking its eye off the customer" The company diversified by buying Coldwell Banker and commissioning the Sears Tower. Comparatively, Sam Walton was driven to make life better for customers, resulting in Wall-Mart's tremendous success.
6. Serving "Learn why your company exists. Enterprises should only provide goods and services to people."
7. Unique "Great enterprises are memorable and have unique vision" Hoover says that Volvo sold safety and reliability not cars "Once an enterprise finds its soul the vision becomes clear.
8. Passion "You're hurting customers if you don't love what you are doing."
Hoover presented the information as if each characteristic was a building block to the next, with successful entrepreneurs integrating these philosophies into the company fabric. But to faithfully maintain these principles so that others in the company absorb and model that behaviour is no easy feat. Size of the company notwithstanding solo entrepreneurs can fail just as easily as multinational corporations with 50,000 employees. To be able to unwaveringly live and drive the strategic goals of an enterprise requires true leadership.
posted by Appleton Associates Ltd at
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New Product Launch
Well I am getting excited, as today is the official launch of a new product for us called 'Springboard'.
Springboard is a new service proposition that is the result of strategic alliance between Ergon and Appleton Associates Ltd.
We have devised some sophisticated systems that use the British Selling Standards as a platform to deliver a more precise description of the key skills and competencies required in any given sales role.
By using these definitions you can create a matrix that will enable you to evaluate all team members against the benchmark and identify any skill or competency deficiencies. This can be done at individual or team level.
Once the gaps have been identified you have a more accurate and bespoke TNA. This will give everyone a better appreciation of your organisation’s unique training requirement, and help you prioritise the implementation of the total solution.
Springboard can also be used to help you develop an ongoing training strategy, by constantly assessing skills helping you to evaluate the ROI from your training.
By using the Springboard system you can consistently develop your sales team using the same standards throughout the process.
For further information contact us via the usual channels.
posted by Appleton Associates Ltd at
Monday, 3 September 2007
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