Over the years I have “boot strapped “on a number of occasions both personally and professionally. Boot Strapping is defined as: a self-sustaining process that proceeds without external help. However I prefer to refer to it as:
When I was a young man, I grew up in a family of hunters. My father, grandfather and so on all hunted. Very early on, though I liked shooting, I found I just wasn’t all that angry with those beautiful animals. So my father and I would go to opening day of deer season in Pennsylvania, usually the Monday following thanksgiving weekend and we go to our spot deep into the woods….and wait.
Sure enough the deer would come, and I would miss. In reality I enjoyed the time at the cabin with my dad and grandfather, my cousin, but I just did not want to kill the deer, so I would …miss. (Sorry Dad)
As I grew older I continued to enjoy shooting and thought about becoming a sniper for the military. No surprise though ;the guy who did not want to kill deer really did not want to kill anything. If called to serve I would do what was asked, but I did not volunteer to use my marksman skills. However I was very intrigued by the training and techniques of snipers.
Snipers, through hours, years, of practice hone their skills. They also become experts at camouflage and being able to sneak up on their target unnoticed. They spend a considerable amount of time in recon and observation prior to the day they execute their one strategic shot at just the opportune time.
Once the shot (usually one is all it takes) is fired, they know the importance of “policing their rounds”. In other words, they pick up the empty shells so others do not even know they were there, they leave no trace. There goal is to approach, patiently observe, execute their objective and leave unnoticed. In so doing they accomplish their objective and return safe for future missions.
In the booth behind me a young entrepreneur is sharing his vision for a new web based service he is presenting to what sounds like a would be venture capitalist or angel investor. Not only has he openly shared the problem he solves, who to sell it to, he even estimates being cash positive in eight months.
To my right is a very heated discussion about “Julie” and how; “she needs to go. She undermines my leadership in meetings and I need to get rid of her…” The three associates are having a blame storming session, here , in a public place?
In the past I have listened to preliminary business plans here, IPO discussions, job interviews, and performance reviews here or at Starbucks, as well as The Good Egg.
I want to share with everyone, there is no unwritten rule of ;
“what is said at Paradise Bakery, Starbucks, or The Good Egg stays there!”
I have shared this with some of my local business network buddies and I was told…just don’t listen. Just because I learn to tune out local discussions as I write my blog, does not mean everyone has.
As a leader in your organization you owe it to your organization, shareholders, and team to learn to “police your rounds.”
Watching the current 2009 Health Care Reform Initiative has valuable lessons for all leaders throughout the world if we take time to pay attention. I think it was Einstein who said “the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”. The current 2009 Health Care Reform Initiative has strong emotional attachments regardless of which side of the debate you reside.
The goal of my last series of blog posts was to share business lessons leaders can learn from watching and living the 2009 Health Care Reform Initiative. I tried to focus on the business principles and not take a partisan view. If you have read any of my posts you will not be surprised to learn I am a Christian, American, and Republican….in that order. I am proud to be an American and I admit we can always improve as a nation, however having traveled the world I can say first hand how blessed I feel to live in the United States.
As for our President, I follow what our Lord taught us in the Bible and I pray for him. I pray the Lord gives him and all our leaders wisdom, discernment, and the courage to act upon what the Lord instructs him to do.( and not those of this world) I have received a number of emails since launching this blog thread. A number of those felt I was “bashing” our President, and if my word choice made you feel that way I apologize.
As a man, I have no problem with President Obama and if asked I would welcome the opportunity to be a part of the solution.
What I challenge is the process of this initiative.
My intension was to ;
#4: Your Previous New Product Launch success (or Failures) Affect Current and Future Launches
#7: Asking…and not listening to your market, is worst than not asking at all…
#8; Buyers Become Tone Deaf to Lazy Marketing Messaging
#9; Make Sure Your Marketing Has All the “Rights” Covered…Fix the Right Problem
A basic marketing tenant says make sure you have all the “rights” covered in your New Product launch, New Service Launch. I discussed solving the right problem in my last post and that leaves the following “rights”; Right Time, Right Customer(s), and Right Offer(s).
One of the difficulties the Obama administration faced when launching the 2009 Health Care reform initiative was bad timing.
Like companies who have launched products in their markets before they were ready, or failed to meet the expectation set by marketing and sales, the Obama administration could not have launched at a worst time. They followed a failed stimulus from the Bush administration, a failed stimulus from the Obama administration, and they tried to begin their launch in the worst economic conditions the United States has seen arguably since the Great Depression.
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In the Book Tuned In the authors discuss how to determine if the problem you are trying to solve should even be considered for development. They discuss the need to determine if the problem is urgent, pervasive (a bunch of folks have it) and most important, is your market willing to pay to solve it?
As we look at the “market “of US consumers we have distinguishable groups that can be segmented: Gen Y’s, Gen X’s, Baby Boomers, and Retired Consumers, consumers without health insurance,…just to name a few.
When you thoroughly solve problem(s) for specific segmented groups in your market, you create offers that are made to stick. The offer is clear and does not require a rocket scientist or an attorney to understand. These perfect solutions instantly connect and become viral in all your targeted market communities. Social media picks up your solution and cannot wait to share how you solved the problem.
A number of organizations are so focused to achieving their objectives that they stop listening to their market. Oh, they ask the right questions, (like they are supposed to) but they only hear the answers that are in alignment with their internal goals, understanding, and historical data. The market (your market) has changed as I discussed in my post interviewing salespeople. So asking open ended questions in your market is imperative to gaining current information and understanding the buying process of today’s market. When organizations ask, but not authentically listen, they create more damage in the trust between their team and their market than if they never would have asked in the first place.
I received an email invitation to attend a telephone town hall being held by Harry Mitchell. What the message said was;
U.S. Rep. Harry Mitchell will participate in two live telephone town hall meetings to discuss the issue of health care and health insurance reform on Wednesday, August 26, with individuals residing in Arizona’s Fifth Congressional District.
“I believe that the telephone town hall format maximizes the ability to engage respectfully on the issue with folks across the district,” Mitchell said. “Reaching more people and taking more questions provides an opportunity to constructively listen to the thoughts, concerns and opinions of people and to answer their questions about the proposals in Congress. I also want to highlight the provisions where there is bipartisan agreement and on benchmarks I believe should be met in order to gain my support.”
I have followed Harry Mitchell since moving to Arizona and what appeals to me is he seems to be a regular guy, someone I could call and have a conversation with. Someone, unlike a number of representatives in Washington, he is one of us. On his website he does a much better job than the Obama administration in clearly stating his views;
As I meet with people throughout the district, many have shared with me personal stories about health care. Like most Arizonans, I believe that rising costs and the threat of losing existing coverage is cause for great concern.
Our health care system needs reform and I believe that it should be comprehensive. Reform should not only improve access to affordable and quality care for all Americans, but it also needs to also preserve individual choice and protect competition in the marketplace. Reform should not leave individuals with fewer options, should not add to the national deficit, and should not leave doctors with inconsistent and low reimbursement rates as is often the case with Medicare.
This page closes with:
While our advances in the health care system are the envy of the world, too many Arizona families and businesses are facing skyrocketing costs, the threat of losing coverage, or denied care by their insurance companies. Reform needs to protect what works and fix what doesn’t. Any solution must first start with an open and honest conversation that gives all of the stakeholders in the debate a seat at the table. That includes you.
As legislation works its way through Congress, I will continue to review the bill and monitor its changes. I have also created this resource page where you can also read the bill, access information about the legislative process, and contact me with your thoughts.
Awesome, he clearly has done what I ask business leaders to do;
Here’s my concern; Is a telephone conference call truly the best venue for you Harry, and your brand?
I do not think so, and I think it will be the biggest strategy mistake in your career….but I may be wrong. For me it is an interruption in your Brand. But then again all who Am I? I live in Arizona, I am a Republican, and I help business people connect with their markets which ultimately results in explosive growth. However, what this “feels” like is you are trying to control the voice of the customer. Whoever recommended a telephone conference, in my opinion, should be asked to serve in another capacity on your staff. I thought it might just be me, so I asked a number of friends, and unfortunately perception is reality and the perception is you are afraid, and you want to control the venue. The reality may be you truly want to serve more people in a better way; however the execution does not match your Brand so we are Branding you by Default.
I tried to sign up for the telephone conference but your web site said;
Note: Due to heavy traffic, we are experiencing delays with our email system. If you encounter difficulties, please return later and try again.
Did you not expect heavy traffic? Did your advisor not research what was necessary to support this venue, support you?
I truly hope your motivation was to reach more people and provide a positive venue to address real questions. I was not able to participate but I hope to hear from those that do. However, if you are trying to control the voices of your marketplace, stop, and have someone on your staff buy you a copy of a book titled: World Wide Rave.
You see, at the end of the day how markets “feel” about you, your company, your Brand, and if you and your team authentically Listens, Understands, and solves my problems affect their purchase decisions. Each purchase is a vote of confidence.
It is an all too common problem;leaders trying to execute to many things and not doing any of them effectively and thus missing their goals. Our current 2009 Health Care Reform is providing another lesson for business leaders throughout the world;
It was the late 1990’s and my independent sales representative Randy and I were working downtown Philadelphia looking for a new video game distributor. As we drove in what felt like circles we were obviously lost and frustrated. We must have passed the same hot pretzel street vendor three times, so I asked Randy to pull over in the next gas station so I can ask directions. As we pulled into parking lot and parked, I got out to ask directions, (Randy quickly locked the doors.) I thought …after all I am in the “city of brotherly love”…surely someone will be happy to give me directions… As I walked up to the bullet proof window the clerk said: “What?” I explained I was looking for the following address and I will never forget what he said…
…little did I know then how profound that advice was when you feel lost.
A Road Map helps your organization (administration) understand where you are, where you want to be, and maps the 2-3 key initiatives (from an overview standpoint) you plan to execute. In addition to identifying 2-3 key initiatives versus 23 or more, it also shows where you do not plan to go. Will your road map change? Sure, you may encounter a roadblock in your marketplace and you will adjust your trip plan, however you will recalculate the course to get to your desired destination.
The current administration in the white house came in after a poorly executed stimulus plan. The market was already Leary of Washington’s ability to execute.
Very quickly they announced the following plans;
“American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan.”
Education Stimulus
Auto industry bail out
Increase Efforts in Afghanistan
New Energy
Plan for Immigration
Normalize relations with Cuba.
Auto higher mileage standards
Estate-Tax Plan
Gun control
Plans for Israel
Again, this was not meant to me a political commentary but an example for us all to learn from. When you list all the initiatives your team is working on I think it would surprise most business leaders.
An exercise I often do with new clients is I meet with all middle and senior leaders and ask what they are working on. Very quickly I determine if I am helping a team that has a road map and is aligned.
When I polled CEO’s not long ago asking what concerns them the most;
The leading cause of teams taking on too much and team members acting on their own initiatives not in alignment with the overall corporate strategy is the lack of a road map. So…
Once you develop your map you must prioritize the initiatives that made the cut. You must assess what your team has the capability, financial resources and skill sets to execute. You will identify 2-3 key initiatives…not 23…54…or 76 .
Just as marketing often throws products “over the wall” to sales, development often throws products over the wall to marketing. When marketing lacks a clear understanding of the problems your product solves, the buyers they solve them for, and a clear understanding of the criteria and process those buyers use when making buying decisions marketing resorts to “Buzz Word Bingo” in hopes that something they say sticks.
As David Meerman Scott explains on his Blog Web Ink Now, That’s how so many PR people write — using gobbledygook-laden phrases that are so overused to have become meaningless.
When marketing creates buzz words and Gobbledygook it makes your market nervous as you have not clearly stated the problem(s) you solve for them, …so they assume.( and we know what happens when we are left to assume…)
One symptom your marketing story has gone astray is the need to have specific messages that address the myths in the market that have grown due to a lack of story clarity. Your marketing efforts will move away from developing a story that resonates with the market and they will produce defensive copy like: Top Five Health Care Reform Lies—and How to Fight Back.
All of the above are signs of a solution being thrown over the wall to marketing without a clear understanding of the problems your new solution solves and marketing is playing catch up. What should have been market research and testing of messages becomes surveys to validate the need. It gets really dangerous when development asks marketing to “create a need” for this new solution they just threw over the wall.
What should we all remember about creating stories that resonate in our markets so we do not have to be defensive? Cheryl Clausen helps us understand what it takes to write a good story in her blog: How to Put Life in Your Sales .
Chances are you are experiencing a Hasted effort to market without clearly understanding the unresolved market problems you were supposed to solve, your buyer personas, and an understanding of your buyer’s buying process.
You can keep trying to catch up and or defend yourself and your new product idea, or you can back up and spend time understanding the needs of your market.
In the process of doing so create buyer personas and speak to those personas in their voice. You must make your story specific to those most likely to buy.
At the Austin Pcamp last weekend I was speaking with a young product manager and he shared sales and marketing do not seem to be embracing his current new product launch. The first thing I asked him was;
His answer was “Yes, how did you know that?”
I explained the one thing about having grey hair is I earned each one,and I went on to explain
It is particularly difficult to get excited about a new product opportunity when marketing and product management have throw two previous solutions over the wall and my team was given a goal for 60,000 and we only sold 6.
So I explained to this ( now wide eyed) young product manager that once you break trust with your sales and marketing team, once you no longer have credibility among your team members you have a much bigger problem you need to solve first. (And you need to solve it quickly)
I asked him a number of questions and the one that seemed to make him most uncomfortable was;
Where a number of entrepreneurs make a costly mistake is in jumping into a new product launch and making a product launch checklist without spending an adequate amount of time gaining an intimate market knowledge and building strategy. When this occurs, developers and engineers (Representatives) build things because they can not because they should.
How do we end up with a 1,000 page bill? ( few have read, and fewer understand?) Or an ipod station and toilet paper holder? Or a laptop that smells?…. ( by design)
Without a clear understanding of the problem you want to solve, and clear requirements and not understanding who you are solving them for, you will build stuff.
Developers are creative problem solvers. They want to be given problems and requirements. They go nuts if you also tell them how to solve it. Just as salespeople hate it when accounting tries to tell them how to sell more.
The inherent problem though lays in the fact developers also see problems that are real to them, that may not be market problems. So they have their “wish list” of solutions they want to introduce.
If you lack a clear definition of the problems you want to solve and the requirements needed and just “throw a challenge over the wall” two things will happen;
1. Development will create a perceived list of problems and prioritize them themselves.
2. Without a clear direction, they will build what they always wanted to build and not necessarily what the market needs or wants.
What happens next is even more dangerous. So you have shared your “big hairy audacious goal” with your market: “A Health Care reform bill before the August break”.
Not having a connection to the problems your team will connect to something…so the August goal is clear, measureable and written so they rally to meet that goal.
The achievement of the goal date becomes more important than solving the unresolved market problem.
When this occurs your team tunes out the market and its needs and tunes into the leaders goal ( and often ego).
Teams aligned around the wrong goal “tell and sell” versus “teach and share the problems they solved” and markets often rebel.
Buyers like to buy; they do not like to be sold.
With the power of social media, and the lack of alignment to the correct goal, a solution can launch and die within hours.
Market leaders understand the value in spending the time upfront, clearly defining the problem(s) they want to solve and developing requirements that set their developers up to win, and ultimately add value to the bottom line of the organization.
Market Losers are so focused on a delivery goal they Haste, and they waste. Focus on the wrong goal results in their team members thrashing around, starting and stopping and not able to develop revolutionary solutions that the market willing buys.
How about your organization….
Does your team throw things over the wall?
Do your developers ask for more information and the prioritization of requirements, or do they assume they know.
Has your company launched something because you could and not because you should? ….How’s that working for you?
Without a clear understanding of the problem(s) you want to solve, how can you write the requirements needed in the solution your development team creates? They will assume the problems and will try solve those with assumed requirements as facts. The farther the requirements move from actual market problems that you have agreed you need solved, the farther the final product solution will be from something that resonates in your marketplace.
In this case congress was asked to create a Health Care Reform bill with the lack of a clear understanding of problems they were to solve and my guess is they therefore did not have prioritized requirements that clearly explain what the final solution must do, and for whom. Couple this with being given an aggressive product launch date for your solution and you will experience what my father used to call: Haste makes waste. ( sound familiar, I have faced this many times)
Like congress, business owners use their gut and intuition at a time they should be gaining an intimate knowledge of their market, their buyers, buying process and buying criteria.
What we are now experiencing with the 2009 Health Care Reform Initiative is symptomatic of leaders lacking market intelligence and a clear understanding of the problem(s) they are to solve. We see entrepreneurs with a vision boldly launching their solution into their markets only to find what they “thought” was a brilliant idea( their wife and golf buddies thought so) does not resonate with their customers and potential buyers. As I wrote in my post: Nail it before you scale it, you must completely solve the identified problems before you scale them. Scaling products that are not complete solutions only results in a lack of understanding among your customers and is often perceived as self serving, and an inside-out focused Market Loser, versus a market serving , Market Leader.. When this occurs you break trust.
Without clear requirements, your development team will work very hard to solve the assumed problems they think you want solved and the perceived needs you “throw over the wall”. We not only need a list of the problems and defined requirements but development would also value the prioritization of those requirements.
