Rapid Wins - how to make a dent when there is no time
This situation may look familiar: Sales have fallen short of goal. The sales force lacks discipline, customer loyalty has dropped off, competitors have made significant inroads into our core markets. There is significant pressure to bring up the top line and cut costs at the same time. The impact needs to be felt in this years financial results. But the year is already half over.
What do we do?
All our instincts tell us to identify where the problem is, and fix it. And our diagnosis frameworks may they be they five forces, seven-S or any sales effectiveness framework - point us in the same direction: structure and hypothesize the problem, diagnose the issues, look for gaps, then devise a strategy to close them.
This is how we humans seem to be wired. We appear to be perennially attracted to the misery. We love problem solving. We love to fix the things that are broken.
In our example, we might look into sales force motivation and think about changing the incentive program. Or we may study the true customer needs and change our value proposition and positioning. Perhaps the sales force needs better closing skills, and we must revamp our training programs. Or we need to target better. Do we need more competent field managers? A new CRM system? Enhanced after sales services?
Probably almost all these ideas have merit. Perhaps even more so in combination. But it is extremely unlikely that they will change this years results (other than adding to the costs).
Our scientific problem solving mindset may be academically rigorous and intellectually satisfying, but it does not help us when there is no time. So lets put it aside.
When we need rapid wins, we need to go to solutions that are already there and replicate them. The good news is that in almost any situation such solutions are already there. We just need to see them.
But to be able to see them, we need to flip our perspective. Instead of looking at the total and ask Why doesnt it work? we need to look at the exception and ask Why does it work?
And there are always exceptions even if sales are down overall, there are some reps that are standard deviations above the rest. Even when our customer base is shrinking, there are some customers we win. If you read the highly recommendable book Switch by the Heath brothers, these are the bright spots they talk about.
We should identify the exceptions within a few days (certainly no later than week one of the rapid wins initiative). This is the first step. Now we start step two.
The second step is: inquiry. How are the exceptions different? Why do we win there? The exception reps and customers may not be able to articulate the differences, so the best way to find out is through observation. This, however, should be done in a few days, a couple of weeks at the most (think rapid!). No need to be statistically significant; this is not science.
When we go into inquiry mode, we will not know what we may find. That is OK. In fact, if we think we know, we must resist the temptation to confirm or reject our hypotheses (again, abandon the scientific mindset). Let's keep a blank slate mind. Chances are that the solution will quickly jump out to us. We will know it when we see it. And we wont need months for this.
Conveniently, this will be a solution that works within the constraints of the current environment (products, marketing materials, systems, incentives etc.). So no need to change anything big - and that is important to stay on the rapid path. At the same time, we already have the proof that it works which is fundamental in convincing the rest of the organization.
We should be not further than week three when we reach this stage. Remember that we havent done anything yet that changes the result. This comes now, in step three.
This third (and final) step is the transfer. How can we clone the exception?
Surprisingly, the change that needs to be made is usually reasonably small. Just because the exception works in the existing environment, the transfer will likely not be through new products and services, marketing materials, CRM system etc. These would only lead us away from the rapid path (we can keep such ideas for later improvements, but should forget about them for now).
Usually, the exception does slight tweaks to the existing approach. Perhaps the exception rep has found a particular approach of making the customer relationship more personal. Or a unique way to express the value of certain product features that resonates better with the customer. Perhaps a band-aid to shortcomings in customer service. Whatever.
The advantage of these tweaks (vs. big changes) is that they can be transferred quickly through a show-tell-practice approach: show what the exception does and what is achieved, tell the rest of the organization how the exception came up with the idea and how it works (stories and testimonials are extremely powerful), then practice in role plays (safe workshop setting!). Finally, we can go live.
In summary, the three steps are (1) Flip the perspective, (2) Inquire, (3) Transfer FIT.
Going live can - probably should - happen no later than in month two of the rapid wins initiative (keep thinking rapid!) so that the rubber hits the road in time to have a chance to impact this years results.