Saturday, August 27, 2011

Waiting for Irene

It has been an interesting weather week.  On Tuesday I experienced my first earthquake, a 5.8 magnitude centered in Virginia but felt up and down the eastern seaboard. Hey, the bottom of my chair vibrated, but at least I didn’t lose my balance! Now we are bracing for Hurricane Irene, a category one storm expected to slam our area with lots of rain and damaging winds. The weather forecasters and media have been on a feeding frenzy, like a school of piraƱas chasing a pound of beef. The earthquake dominated the news cycle with images of streets filled with confused masses gazing skyward or talking on their cell phones. Now it’s live coverage of waves crashing onto some deserted pier or an unlucky weatherman being pelted by wind and rain so we can tell the storm is on its way.

If I sound cynical it’s only because our 24-hour news environment has created a need for drama that once was reserved for a 30 minute nightly news broadcast. Tuning in to watch Walter Cronkite share the only images we would likely see that day of the latest flood, snowstorm, or other natural disaster made a date with our television actually seem worthwhile. Now I can’t escape the impending catastrophe. It’s dominating Facebook wall posts and hash tags on Twitter, even preempting the Little League World Series game on my local network affiliate. Is the danger real or some virtual reality fueled by our need to be informed?

Perhaps we are simply addicted to the notion that media reporting is no longer just a spectator sport. Everyone with a smart phone, digital recorder, or internet access can post their version of the disaster as it unfolds. You can regale your friends with commentary about the amount of rain, post photos of the tree limb now resting on your neighbor’s fancy sports car, or lament the lack of snacks in your pantry. Amateur video leads the evening news as breathless anchors describe the magnitude of the event. It’s all so surreal!

Even I don’t wish for a return to the 60’s version of news and information. Yet, a part of me longs for the time when waiting for Irene will mean lighting a few candles (just in case the power goes out), grabbing a good book, settling in on the couch with my wife at my side, and letting Mother Nature do the rest. Care to join me? Oops, wait a minute. My iPad just chimed with an update on the latest track of the storm. Can I get back to you on that idea?

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Think Like a Buyer

Every business these days is faced with the challenge of finding and retaining good customers. Many of us rely on marketing and sales approaches that, in previous environments, have served us well. It would be overstating the obvious to say that these are anything but ordinary circumstances. Today’s consumer has access to more information about your business than ever before, much of it from informal sources that you have little or no control over (think social media). So how can business leaders, especially those selling professional services like me, gain an edge in this challenging and changing marketplace?

Being technically proficient isn’t the answer. My prospects and clients have a plethora of training and consulting experts to choose from, many with advanced degrees and years of corporate experience. Some of these professionals do offer unique talents or specialized skill sets but those generally don’t factor into a buyer’s final decision. What matters most is often intangible, the way a buyer feels about you and the relationship. That’s why learning to think like a buyer is so important.

It is unlikely that leaders selling professional services have imagined how their prospective customer is feeling about the sales process. Seasoned sales people may be adept at asking good questions and tailoring their solutions to the specific needs being revealed in the answers. But how many of us consider the full range of emotions buyers often experience during those same conversations? Do we appreciate the sense of vulnerability that buyers must endure as they consider what it will be like to place personal or confidential issues into the hands of someone else? Are we aware of their doubts and suspicions as they try to imagine whether our claims are sincere or just platitudes? Can we identify with their fear of failure as they contemplate the consequences of their decision?

My personal experiences with buyers attest to the enormity of these challenges. To overcome the unspoken emotions of buyers I have found that personal preparation is one of the most effective ways to build trust. I try to learn what I can about the buyer and his or her business. Sometimes I will research an industry or a competitor looking for clues or trends. If I have provided a similar service for another organization their case story might be shared to show the prospective buyer what they can expect. Perhaps most importantly, I try to provide something of real value during the meeting so the buyer can see what it might be like to have me work with them as a trusted advisor or vendor.

There are many other factors that influence a buyer’s thinking and decision making process. Effective listening is one way to uncover their hidden emotions and agendas. Honestly addressing objections or concerns is equally important. In the end a buyer must believe you are committed to really helping them instead of simply trying to sell them something. That may sound trite but remember, when I’m buying a professional service, I’m really hiring you.

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Winterthur

I love history so yesterday’s day trip to Winterthur (pronounced winter-tour), an American country estate located just outside Wilmington, Delaware was a treat. This former home of Henry Francis du Pont is located on 1,000 acres of pristine meadows, woodlands, waterways, and gardens. The 175-room mansion holds one of the richest collections of decorative arts made or used in America between 1640 and 1860 (nearly 90,000 items in all). The estate, which opened to the public almost 60 years ago is also an important research center for the study of American art and culture. But a tram operator named Duncan is the real story and timely leadership lesson from my visit.

The trams are used at Winterthur to provide a narrated tour of the 60 acre garden. Duncan made a grand entrance by announcing he was depressed about the Phillies loss the previous night to the Washington Nationals and we knew this would be no ordinary trip. We soon learned about his experience at the baseball game, his retirement from the automobile industry, and his love of Winterthur. He playfully heckled his riders, expertly called our attention to the flora and fauna along the roadway, and even surprised a fellow colleague with a “group hello” from his tram riders. His sense of humor, impeccable timing, and unabashed enthusiasm for the estate and his work was infectious.

As the tour came to a close at the main entrance to the mansion, my cousin asked Duncan about the dairy barn mentioned during the tour but off limits to guests. Without hesitation, and with a mischievous gleam in his eye, Duncan offered to take our group of four to see the barn. We piled back into the tram and a few minutes later were, not just driving by the remnants of this once thriving diary operation but, inside the barn for a behind the scenes view of the magnificent building. Duncan was like a kid in a candy store, excitedly pointing out unique aspects of the design, recounting statistics about the prize-winning herd of cows, and offering his unique perspectives about the estate and its patriarch Henry du Pont.

Needless to say we all wondered what repercussions Duncan might face as his tram arrived quite late at the visitors center with guests still on board. “Tell them we had a major breakdown,” he advised with a wide grin on his face. We all knew this wasn’t the first time Duncan had strayed from the prescribed tour route, nor would it be his last.

I trust Duncan’s boss realizes just what a gem her employee really is. It’s rare to find anyone fully engaged in their work and loving every minute of it. The American business landscape is littered with far too many examples of surly employees, automated attendants, and underwhelming customer service. It was refreshing to meet someone so dedicated to one simple task, giving the customer more than he or she expected. That is exactly what Duncan did for our small party of four. We left Winterthur impressed by the stunning surroundings, the magnificent decor, the fabulous furnishings, and the unusual collections of decorative art. Yet it was Duncan, and his exemplary customer service that will bring us back for future visits and encourage us to become ambassadors for this special country estate.

Leaders who regularly read this blog can learn a lesson or two from Duncan’s example. Giving employees some latitude to make customers happy is a risk worth taking. Empowering your staff to exceed the needs of those they serve will create a loyal tribe of followers for your brand. Thanks, Duncan, for making our trip to Winterthur more than just another history lesson! We left having made a new friend.

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Quiet Confidence

This weekend I spent Friday evening and all day Saturday facilitating a planning retreat for my church’s leadership staff and board, the culmination of a month-long series of conversations with members about their hopes and dreams for our congregation. Perhaps the greatest anxiety felt by participants was the pressure to accurately represent the varied needs and wishes of those persons who had contributed so much to these rich discussions. Leaders tasked with articulating a picture of the future for their organization probably often feel this tension.

Early in the process I reminded the team that they were bringing with them into every conversation and planned activity the images, stories, and ideas they had already heard from those previously held gatherings. I encouraged them to confidently approach the planning process knowing their thinking would be influenced by what they had encountered and learned. When careful listening is accompanied by a thoughtful planning process the results can generally be counted on to represent the deepest passions and dreams of everyone.

As the event unfolded, participants began to connect their insights with the collective voices of the broader congregation. Stories merged to offer new clarity, creative energy was sparked from existing strengths or deeply held values, and dreams were shared about a hoped for future. My reminder to plan with confidence had clearly paid off.

Then a moment of apprehension emerged at the most critical component of the process, where stated dreams were now being converted to possible next steps. Leaders naturally feel uneasy as they try to accurately represent the wishes of other stakeholders. Retreat participants addressed this concern by “looping back” to the gathered data and collective stories from the earlier conversations with members. By comparing those themes with the emerging dreams, as stated by the leadership team, congruence was found and the process could continue.

As leaders seek to guide their organizations into a uncertain future, a quiet confidence is essential. There is no room for ego or power in this process. Leaders don’t hold all the knowledge or possess special clairvoyance about the future. Their confidence in setting direction comes from gathering the stories and hopes of key stakeholders, culling the themes that emerge from those conversations, and “looping back” during the planning process to compare nascent initiatives with previously collected data.

Clear dreams are necessary to engage church members or company employees in any effort to share a new future or direction. Confidence in those same dreams, and the process used to create them, is one way leaders can ensure success.