Well, I’ll bet you didn’t know that studying baseball or baking would help improve your sales results.

(This article is 863 words - approx. 5 minutes of reading.)

If you want something to materialize or to happen, there are standard steps you take, depending on what it is. For example, if you want a delicious, moist chocolate cake, there is a specific recipe you follow.

World's Yummiest Chocolate Cake
2 cups of flour, 3 eggs, 2/3 cups sugar, ¾ cup chocolate pieces, 1 stick of softened butter, melt chocolate in double boiler over hot (not boiling) water, pre-heat oven to 375o, bake for 25 minutes, cool cake on a rack for 30 minutes, etc., etc.

To reach your objective of having a delicious, moist chocolate cake, your action plan will be to “execute the cake recipe”.

Another example (thanks to the marketing guru, Robert Middleton): take the Boston Red Sox. (No offense New York fans. I’m an equal opportunity example user. We’ll give you guys the air time next.) The objective is to win the baseball game.

The “recipe”, if you will, or ingredients of a win are:

Hit the ball where no one is, throw the ball to where someone is, catch the ball, preferably before it hits the ground, run the bases really fast before anyone can catch you with the ball, etc.

If the Red Sox’s goal is to win a baseball game, their action plan must include the above mechanics.

A recipe or formula is somewhat akin to an action plan you might create to reach a business objective. Does this make sense?

Taking the baseball analogy one step further; just as the formula to win the game specifies the mechanics / the actions needed, the formula also specifies the order in which each action should be executed to achieve optimal results. In order for the Red Sox to achieve the intended result – a WIN - there is a specific order of execution that must be followed. How about going up and running the bases sliding into home and then picking up the bat to get ready for the pitch. The mechanics of the game, Hit the ball, throw the ball, catch the ball, run the bases, etc. must occur in a specific order.

As for the cake, it goes without saying that you can’t bake the flour, eggs and sugar mixture before mixing in the melted chocolate. You might end up with something you could call a cake, but it won’t be the chocolate cake of your dreams.

The same goes for selling your services. The includes:
• Defining the prospects – (Get them on the bench)
• Getting their attention – (At home plate & up to bat)
• Developing a relationship – (Home to 1st Base – Permission)
• Developing an understanding of their needs (Home to 1st Base – Qualification)
• Introducing your work, the benefits you provide and what sets you apart (2nd Base)
• Formal and customized presentation of your solutions to solve their needs (2nd to 3rd Base)
• Agreement to work together - Negotiating a win-win working arrangement (3rd Base into Home for the win)
• Providing the service (Into the Dugout)
• Ongoing client care, etc., etc. (Dugout – back to running the appropriate bases as needed for cross-selling, up-selling, referral opportunities, etc.)

Just like in baseball, there is an order in which these steps must be executed to see good sales results. One of the primary problems I see many professionals make is that they “skip bases”. They try to move a prospect from the initial meeting (Home) to a detailed discussion of why they and/or their services are great (2nd Base) without gaining permission or qualifying the prospect appropriately.

For example, you meet someone at a Chamber After Hours networking event and after only a brief time (even if over a couple of separate meetings) you give them a “brain dump” on your services.
You may have exchanged cards but it might likely be a while before you meet with them one-on-one and a longer while before you do any business with them.

Why? It’s usually because you rattled on about how great your services are without taking the time to learn about this person or the problems they might be having. Yes, you must remember that a prospect is a person with their own personal quirks, ego needs, and challenges. We can get so wrapped up in “our service” and “our need” to get new clients that we forget that “little” fact.

In the end it is not about how much we know or how great our service is. It’s about how we, as individuals, can help our prospect achieve their objectives, solve their problem, reduce their pain - or all of the above. People do business with people they like and trust. They don’t do business with a service or product.

Keep this in mind, don’t skip the bases and you’ll see a vast improvement in your sales results and in your business. and remember; Be BOLD. It takes discipline and it all starts with a VISION.

Bold Vision’s program, Promotion Action, is about helping service professionals develop and implement their own formula to get prospects to the bench and then effectively and efficiently move them around the bases.

Posted by Lynnelle Bianco at 11:26 AM
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This article is a departure from the usual small business issues I write about – come to think about it, so was last week’s article. However the subject of this article is at the root of one of the key challenges we all face – business or otherwise. That is the issue of taxes and why it is so hard to make the decisions necessary to do anything about it.

I’m participating in a strategic planning review with the objective:

“Propose a model for a more coordinated and unified approach to economic development in Cumberland County. This model should improve and strengthen the collaboration among existing economic development organizations” and thereby, improve economic landscape of Cumberland County and its municipalities and communities.

Our committee formed in late February and we are to submit a final report late June. We have met every other week since the initial meeting in February – seven meetings in total, 6 to-date, averaging 1 ½ to 2 ½ hours each.
The committee of 24 (Yes, Twenty-four; can you see the challenge already?) charged with “thinking outside the box” for a new economic development model.

(This isn’t an apples-to-apples comparison, granted; however it will be interesting to note that Wright Express a $1.4 Billion company, has a total of 7 – SEVEN - members on their board of directors and only 7 (one who is also a director) Senior staff at the Executive level.)

Our committee members include:
4 – Private Sector
o Yours truly; solo-preneur and a company of 1.5 (on a good day)
o Small business owner with just over 20 employees
o Manager at a broadcasting firm.
o Hotel general manager

20(+ or -) Public / Government Sector
• Representatives from
o GPCOG (Greater Portland Council of Government),
o Westbook DECD (Dept of Economic and Community Development),
o Maine CED (Center for Enterprise Development),
o Maine SBDC (Small Business Development Center),
o SEDCO (Scarborough Economic Development Corp.),
o CVB (Convention & Visitors Bureau),
o SBA (Small Business Association)
…I could go on – but you get the idea.

Each of these organizations (and there are others not represented here) have important objectives relating in some way to economic development efforts for the state, a specific region or municipality of Maine. From looking at the above list you get the clear indication that duplicated efforts and redundancies probably exist. Doing a bit more research you’ll find this IS the case and a lack of coordination between theses organizations also exists.

These are very intelligent, strong willed and determined people trying to do the best for their municipality or region but they have a difficult time seeing the forest for their own trees.

Back to the committee: Here we all are in a room; 5 to 1 – public (the trees) to private. Continuing with the forest analogy, the objective this group has been given is to “prune the forest to clear away some of the trees to make it a more manageable, productive and attractive forest. A more attractive and healthy forest will support and grow a wider variety of healthy animal, vegetable and mineral.”

In effect, what most of the committee members are being asked to do is to put their own position, division and staff on the line in order to generate the discussions that need to take place in order to address consolidation, alignment of efforts and coordination. This hasn’t happened yet, but we’ve still got one more meeting to go. ...there's still hope.

This article mentions economic development, and no - this isn’t exclusively an ED issue, but a government issue in general. As professionals and small business owners, it is up to each of us to be aware of where our tax dollars go. If we don’t like it we should make our opinions known at the level that can effect change. And I suggest we get away from merely whining, griping and complaining - and educate ourselves about the situation well enough to offer suggested alternatives. Better yet, we should take the next step and make an effort to effect the change ourselves, which is what my thought was when participating on this committee.

Now, back to the committee; I DO have a suggestion – 2, in fact.

1) Put all the ED, ABC, GPCOG, DECD, SMED, CED, XYZ directors in a room and tell them they each have to cut the bottom line of their budget 15% while maintaining the same objective their full budget supported. To do so they will have to align with each other; partner and leverage each other’s resources and efforts. Then close the door and not let anyone out until they play nice and reach an agreement.

Or

2) Scrap this committee and form a smaller committee to address the same question. However this group will be comprised of equally intelligent and passionate individuals – however eliminate the “trees” on this first go-round of talks to get real “outside the box”…or forest ideas.

Regarding the trademark issue from the last article.... I'm going for option 2 - the letter approach. I'll keep you posted.

Until next time, Be BOLD. It's all about RESULTS and it all starts with a vision.

On June 29 (DATE FIRM) Bold Vision Consulting will begin offering the 1st of a 2-Series program “Promotion Action Plan - Attract More Clients than You Can Handle With Less Effort by Becoming Recognized as an Expert in Your Field” exclusively for Professionals whose business is their expertise. Independent Service Professionals interested in more information please email info@boldvisionconsulting.com.

Bold Vision Business Intensive program will be launched in July or August. The Business Intensive program is a series of 8 90-minute classes. Two programs will be launched; one that will meet in person (South Portland, ME) and one that meets via teleconference. For more information send an email to info@boldvisionconsulting.com.