Randy Whitcroft

It finally happened

admin — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 14:10:19 +0000

It finally happened. I have always tried to be very cautious with my network on sites like LinkedIn, etc. I value the people in my network and when it comes to other social media sites, do not share any information as I do not want my network to be spammed, contacted with an misleading email stating that I endorse something or tried something that they should try. We have all seen these apps on sites like Facebook where you see that someone has answered a question about you and the curiosity of what they have said grows so much that you have to click it….only to be sucked into a vortex of wasted time and to in turn have all of your contacts sent the same type of note stating that I had answered a question about them, and the circle of wasted time begins all over again. I have always resisted and stayed away from these types of things.

Well, over the last while I have been interested in the topic of online reputation within Social Media, etc. I have been doing a bit of research on this topic for a while now. When checking in on LinkedIn, I noticed that a few of my contacts have been trying a new site called Mixtent….so I did it and I went to the site. In order to get started it says that it wants to analyze your LinkedIn contacts but they will not be contacted without my approval. Even on the main page, as you can see from the picture I have on this post, they tell you that everything is completely anonymous. Ya right…..

After going through a “Hot or Not” type of selection process between a few of my contacts, I realized that I have just wasted 20 minutes of my life which I can never get back again. In most cases, the voting and the people you are choosing from do not even belong in the categories that you are voting on. For example, the category was who was the best in the field of Management Consulting. Many of these people are not even in the Management Consulting role. Sure they are very capable people and good at what they do, however they are not “consultants”. There were sales reps, VP of Sales, and only a few of the 14 comparisons given actually had true Management Consultants to choose from. Again, don’t get me wrong….the people that I voted for are professionals in every sense of the word. However, with some of the categories it feels like you are making comparisons between Apples and Oranges with the way that Mixtent is running their system.

Oh ya….as for the completely anonymous part. I open up my email this morning to find a note from one (…by the way just received another as I was posting this blog) of my contacts within LinkedIn who received a note apparently from me stating that I voted for them on Mixtent….and they should check it out. So much for having to approve any communications or being anonymous.

I know I have not blogged for a while, but wanted to get this one out just to make sure others know what you are getting into before you choose to participate with the Mixtent site. In my opinion, it is deceptive, and a waste of time. For any of the valued people within my network who receive something apparently from me from Mixtent….I apologize. You may want to stay away from this site…as I know that I will.

Sometimes what you don’t say speaks louder than what you do say!

admin — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 02:58:25 +0000

TV Commercials…love them or hate them, they are something that we all have to deal with as part of our television entertainment experience. Although I only watch a few specific shows each week, and I hate having to endure approximately 10 minutes of these commercials during an average 30 minute program, the reality is that the odd time I do see a commercial that is either really entertaining or that as a sales person I can appreciate.

One of the recent commercials that I have seen and I think from a sales perspective is brilliant is the new Hyundai commercial. In this particular commercial they have hidden camera’s in the different vehicles within their model lineup. As the people test drive the vehicle, these hidden camera’s are filming the reactions of the real world people doing the test drive. You can watch and hear the people driving the cars talking about things like how fun it is to drive the vehicle, or how they love the interior, etc.

As a sales professional, what I love about these commercials is that Hyundai is not using any “sales tactics” to tell us (the viewers) about all the different features of their vehicles. They are not trying to sell us on the quality of the materials which have been used when building the vehicle. They have not tried to convince us that we absolutely must have some new gadget that is only available within their vehicles…but not available within their competitors vehicles. The beauty of this commercial is that Hyundai is not saying a single thing….they are letting the people who are doing the test drive to say what needs to be said.

In my mind, what is said by the people test driving the vehicles speaks louder and sends a more powerful message than anything that any of Hyundai’s typical car advertisement voice over professionals could ever say in this commercial. I believe that Hyundai understands and has demonstrated one of the core basics of sales, marketing, and advertising…people do not buy features like iPod integrations and heated leather seats. What people buy are the benefits and the emotions associated with these benefits, like the excitement that someone feels when being able to get into a car with heated leather seats on a cold winter morning….and that the most effective way to get this message across loud and clear to your audience is to show the emotions that other people are experiencing when getting the benefits from all of the different features within their vehicles.

OK…maybe some of you are thinking right now that I really need to find myself a hobby . Although this may be true, the reality is that I love what I do for a living, and I cannot just switch off being a sales professional when I walk through my front door at home. So, when I see something simple like a commercial where a company demonstrates that they truly get it, I take the time to recognize and appreciate it.

So, what do you think? What commercials have you seen that you appreciate, and that stick out in your mind?

BTW….here is a copy of the commercial in case you have not seen it…..

Are you a professional or an expert in nothing?

admin — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 00:19:03 +0000

To begin with, it is important to highlight that I consider myself a professional in my chosen profession. I have went to school for Business Sales, and other than washing dishes for 6 months as my first job in high school, all I have ever done is sales, and sales management. I chose this field and have tried over the years to hone my skills and to be the best that I can be in this field. Even as an entrepreneur…I am a sales person. The simple fact is that even as an entrepreneur the buck stops here…if I do not sell…I cannot pay the bills.

So, having said all of this, let me change gears just a bit. A couple of weeks ago, I received an email from someone that I know and have spoken with on a few occasions. This person comes from a bit more of a technical background, but have invested the time and effort to become an MBA. This is all good. However, I have to admit that the email that I received disturbed me a bit. In a nutshell, this person was looking for an opportunity for a full time contract with a company, and they asked if I would let them know if I hear of anything. They then went on to say that they are looking for something either in technology, sales, business development, HR, or operations. So, before I go any further….Do you see any issue with this or is it just me?

There are two aspects about this email that disturbed me. First, how can you be a professional and have the capabilities that companies need in everything? In today’s economy and market, it is the true professionals who are committed to their field that truly succeed. In fact there are even many professionals that are struggling in this economy, however I think that is safe to say they are still doing better than the people who are experts in nothing. Don’t get me wrong, I understand that many people are looking to find any work even if it means something outside of their typical area of practice. I am not picking on this person, as this is not the point…but rather I am trying to point out the fact that trying to position yourself as being capable of doing everything, and not being an expert in anything just does not cut it anymore. Focus, and a constant commitment to learning within your field is what separates the truly successful people from everyone else. It is like a skier in the Olympics just saying that they can also skate so they are going to try and compete in the long track skating race. It just does not make any sense.

My second issue with this situation is that for some reason many people think that the sales profession is something that you can fall back upon. It is something that if things do not work out…then you can always go into sales. Why is this? To be a professional salesperson, you have to understand elements of human psychology, you have to be able to properly interact with people, you have to be a master at the art of truly listening, you have to know how to ask clients the right (and often hard) questions…the list goes on and on. I actually find it frustrating and even a bit insulting when someone feels that since there is nothing else out there, they can just jump into sales. Sure there are many people that have come into the sales profession by accident, and some of them do well, however sales is not something that you can just go into, and be successful. I would never say that because I use a computer I am qualified to become a software developer…so why is it that people think that they can just jump into a sales or business development role and actually be successful? Is it because sales has the stereotype that by simply buying a client a few lunches, a few beers and a golf game they will buy from us? If so…then these people are truly mistaken!

So, you tell me…am I missing something here? Am I off base with these two points? Am I not seeing something? If so, then let me know as I would value nothing more than to have someone correct me if my view on these two points is skewed!

Why I meet my friends at Tim Hortons and my clients at Starbucks

admin — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 21:29:53 +0000

The other day, I was out and I met up with an ex-colleague of mine at a local Tim Hortons. We sat together for almost an hour catching up, and talking about different topics. It was towards the end of the hour that I looked at my watch and told them that I had to leave in order to meet up with a client to give an update on one of our engagements with them.

As I left the Tim Hortons and jumped into my vehicle in order to go 4 or 5 blocks away to a Starbucks to meet my client, I could not help but ask the question why I was leaving this coffee shop in order to run to a completely different one to meet my client. Why didn’t I just plan on meeting my client at the same place? Valid question….and the answer seemed pretty clear to me right away. Starbucks was a better place to meet with a client to discuss business!

If you think about it, it really has nothing to do with the product that is being offered. In fact if you asked me to choose between a Tim Hortons coffee or a Starbucks, I would choose the Tim Hortons coffee 100% of the time. It had everything to do with the environment and experience of where it is being served. For my American friends if you are not familiar with Tim Hortons, then the best way to describe it is that it is very similar to a Dunkin Donuts. It is a great place to sit down on some hard plastic tables and chairs to connect with a friend over a good cup of coffee. They offer a type of coffee that you often go out of your way in order to get on your way to work in the morning. They are in almost every single community, they are active community sponsors, and as Canadians most of us have a special place in our hearts for Tim Hortons and their coffee. In fact, our military has went through great lengths to have a Tim Hortons for our troops in Afghanistan just so that our service men and women can have a small taste of home while they are off serving our country.

In comparison, the round wooden tables, or soft comfortable high back chairs at the Starbucks combined with the slight hint of music playing in the background, and the scents/scenery of a business completely focused on providing everything you would ever need or want as it relates to coffee feels more like an appropriate meeting place for my customers.

What I found to be really interesting about all of this is that it had nothing to do with my taste in coffee. It had nothing to do with the products or services being offered by either coffee shop. In yet it had everything to do with the atmosphere/experience that each of them provided, and I proved this by getting in my vehicle to drive to a completely different coffee shop and proceeding to paid $10 for 2 coffees just so that I could meet with a customer in an environment that I felt was “appropriate”. Tim Hortons is my favorite place for a great cup of coffee or to meet with friends, family, etc. But I am always ready and willing to pay a premium for a coffee just so that I can meet with a client or business associate in an environment that helps to facilitate productive business conversations. Not one of these environments are better than the other, but rather each one understand what I as the consumer want, and they have built a customer experience that satisfies these separate requirements. It is amazing how few companies, restaurants, retail stores truly understand that it is not always about the product that they offer, but is just as much (if not more) about the buying experience that they offer. The experience is what determines the price that I am willing to pay, and the type of ways in which I incorporate either coffee shop into both my personal and business activities. In essence, the customer experience is a powerful tool that can either make or break a company, and the companies that truly understand their target market and build a customer experience that reflects the needs that they are trying to solve for their target market are the ones that truly stand out above the rest.

How does the customer experience affect the places where you spend your money? Are you buying the product….or are you buying the experience?

Technology is a sales tool…not THE tool

admin — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 17:58:25 +0000

I am one of the largest proponents of technology and social media as part of your sales process. As a customer/consumer, I like the fact that companies that want my business are using new and different tools in order to communicate with me in order to better understand my needs and requirement. However….there is a fine line. What I mean by this is that technology and social media should be an enabler to communicate with me but it should not be the only tool or solution used.

Let me give you an example. Over two weeks ago I was searching for a particular type of communication tool. During this process I put my contact information into the system. So, today (about a week and a half after I had already made a decision to use a competing technology BTW….), I received an email from a sale rep thanking me for my interest in their solution. The following is the call to action that he asked for in his email…..

“Please reply to this email to set up an appointment or click here to provide more information. I look forward to speaking with you.”

I took a moment and clicked the link and as you can see from the graphic attached to this post you can see what I saw. So here is the point of all of this….

1. Not once did I ever get a call from a live person with a desire to truly understand my needs and requirements.

2. I get an email two weeks after I had originally submitted my information.

3. The call to action is that I have to email him to set up time with him….who is the customer again? My other option is that I can go and fill out some information on a standard form on their website telling them a bit more about my needs. Again….who is the customer?

I understand that many sales teams are short staffed. However this type of situation blows me away as it does nothing to instill a confidence that this company wants to truly understand my needs and requirements. The fact that I get a standard email template, two weeks after inputting my information which asks me to contact them or to put some basic information into a web page leads me to believe that they truly do not care about me, or what I am trying to do. Even if I did follow through and put my information into their webpage…I am not confident that I would even hear from them again for another couple of weeks…..

Please tell me if it is just me or if you agree that you would feel the same as I do about this. Although technology and social media are fantastic tools, they should never be used to replace the human touch and human elements in the sale cycle. If you try to do this, then in my opinion not only will you get poor results, you also suffer the risk of loosing a potential customer for the long run. I will demonstrate this with the fact that I will not be using this companies service….nor will I ever do so unless there truly is no other option available to me.

Hey….they are playing my song….

admin — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 18:50:49 +0000

With the Grammy Awards coming up, the band Bon Jovi is taking a new approach to their performance during the show. In case you have not heard yet, they have set up a system where you can vote on what song you want them to play during the awards show. Even if you are not a Bon Jovi fan, there are some really unique things about what they are doing and where this could all lead….

First, hats off to Bon Jovi to taking the concept of listening to their customers to the next level. This clearly shows that they want to hear what their fans and the viewers of the show really want. Although setting up the survey and creating the awareness around this may not be a huge technological feat, the reality is that they have taken the time to do it. This is more than most other performers have ever done before them.

Second, it has created a win-win-win situation. The band wins as they have demonstrated that they listen to their fans, and by playing a song that the majority of people want to hear they may gain some more fans from the performance. Not to mention the traffic that goes to their website in order to vote…which may result in an increase of sales of clothing, albums, and other fan material from the site. The awards show wins as it is driving more traffic to watch the show. Lets face it…once you cast your vote, you are much more likely to watch the show to see if they end up playing “your song”. The final win is reserved for the fans…you get to vote on your choice of what song they play and your overall experience watching the show is increased. Even if you song isn’t chosen…chances are it is going to be one of their popular songs as it has been chosen by the majority of people who voted.

Third, I really think (…and hope) that this is a first step in a more interactive experience for fans. I don’t know about you, but I have been to some concerts where the band has chosen to play more of their less recognized songs. I understand the point of this as they are trying to get people to buy more of their new or old albums…but when I am paying a few hundred dollars to go to a concert (including tickets, parking, etc.), then I really want to hear more of the songs that I like and know. Now, imagine being able to go to a concert where the band uses technology or social media to give fans a show that they want. As you walk into the stadium you can use twitter or facebook to cast a vote on what songs you want to hear during the concert. This type of situation is not that far fetched….but it is up to the band to decide if they want to do something like this in order to be closer to their fans and to give them the show that they want.

Technology is now to a point where there simply is no excuse for companies, government, and even entertainers to not be listening to their customers and fans.

What do you think? Do you think that this is the beginning of entertainers getting even closer to their fans, and letting them have more of a say in what they perform? If entertainers “listened” to you more….would you go to more concerts and events?

My 2010 Wall of Fame?…or Shame?

admin — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 01:04:20 +0000

One of my pet projects over the holidays was to repaint my home office. I wanted something a little different and decided upon the Rustoleum chalkboard paint. As you can see I went with a color other than the standard green or black which you typically see on a chalkboard. As you can also see from the picture…it did not turn out too bad.

So, one of the key things that I wanted to do with my new full wall chalkboard is to lay out some of my business goals for 2010. If you have ever read any books or articles on goal setting, then you know that one of the greatest things you can do to move yourself towards achieving your goals (beyond writing them down) is to share your goals with others. So…here they are…

Now that the picture of my goals is out for everyone to see…will this be the wall of fame or the wall of shame for 2010? I am well on my way so far, so am putting my money on fame!

How did you document your goals for 2010? Who have you shared your goals with?

All fired up…

admin — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 17:40:43 +0000

Over the last couple of weeks, I have seen some tweets and even some blog posts about people “firing customers”. I have to admit that this topic gets me fired up as I have a real hard time understanding why people would use this type of language about their customers.

First off, let me state that I fully understand the concept behind this statement, and I also agree that if you truly feel that walking away from a customer is the right thing (for you, for them, and for your business), then you should walk away. My issue is with the term “firing” and the bravado that people seem to take when they make this statement. I believe that the term “firing” can have more negative impacts in the long run, and feel that terms “part ways”, “moved on”, or even “agreed to disagree” are better terms to use for this type of situation.

Why get so worked up over the words people use? First off, the term “fire” will typically paint a negative picture in peoples minds. Nobody wants to get fired. It does not matter if you are the person doing the firing, or the person getting fired…this is just an event that most people would like to avoid. Second, firing is a permanent action that leaves you very little room to maintain a relationship for future cooperation.

If you were fired from a company, would you go back there to work again?

If you were fired from a company, would you still support that company by buying their product and services?

If you fired someone, would you hire them again at the same company or any other company you worked for?

Chances are that the answer is No, and chances are that the customer who you “Fired” feel the exact same way. Life has a way of bringing things full circle, so you never know when you may cross paths with that customer again. You may be at a different company someday, where that particular customer has become your “ideal” customer. You may add a new product or service to your set of offerings which would be perfect for them…but because you fired them….both of you will not be able to get over the negative feelings associated with your last interactions together, and as a result a potential future “good” customer may be lost forever.

Finally, I also believe that the words we choose and use on a daily basis are a reflection of our thoughts, our feelings and our character. The following is what I mean by this…

Your thoughts become your words.
Your words become your actions.
Your actions become your habits.
Your habits become your character.
and…your character becomes your destiny.

Think about this for a moment. When someone “fires” a customer, it leads me to wonder what their thoughts and attitudes were towards their customers to begin with. Their words are coming from their thoughts and ultimately reflect upon their character and destiny. I know that not all customers are perfect, but I also know that my customers have paid for my house, have given me what I have in life, and ultimately help to feed my family each and every day. Yes, there are some that I walk away from, however I would never “fire” them as I think that this type of thinking, and those negative words will ultimately reflect upon my character, my destiny, and my bank account….

So, let me know what you think…should I be getting so “fired” up about this topic?

Setting yourself apart….

admin — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 20:25:51 +0000

I have been spending a fair amount of time lately trying to build out my online presence (both business and personal), and social media strategy. As part of a refresh on the Ideas2Revenue website, I registered for Tungle. If you are not familiar with Tungle, you need to check it out. I allows for people not only to see your calendar online, it also allows people to propose meeting times, etc. based upon your availability. If you are like me and managing a busy schedule and also juggling a number of different activities with different people…then you have to check out Tungle.

Anyway, I went and signed up for the service (free). Within a few painless minutes I was up and running and my calendar was already sync’d with Tungle. So, needless to say I was content. Now, at 8:37am this morning (Saturday), I received an email from the CEO of Tungle, thanking me for joining, and to let him know or his head of support (copied in on the message) if I had any issues. Now, I think we will both agree that this email was most likely an automated message…but the point is that they have taken the time to even set up that message. They are sending out a welcome message from the CEO of the company, with his email, mobile phone number, and twitter address in the email. This is a perfect example of a company that I believe is going to do well because they have shown me that they believe in the importance of customers from the top down. Having a simple email from the CEO actually gives me a sense of comfort that if anything goes wrong, or if I need help…they are not going to hide from me.

As everything I do is focused on trying to communicate the role customers can take beyond just being a form of an ATM where you go only when you need sales revenue, Tungle has just demonstrated a very basic but effective way to communicate to a customer that they are not just “another sale”. Well done Tungle…and thank you!

Why must I pay for your incompetence?

admin — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 04:59:59 +0000

I recently attended an event put together by one of the local networking associations. It was a full weekend event that started on Friday night and ended on Sunday evening with time only to go home to rest and then head back again. Many people call it an “unconference” as there is no real schedule but is pretty open and free flowing. The concept is that it is a gathering of people from the technical, sales, finance, legal, and marketing fields. On Friday night, some entrepreneurs who are trying to get their business off of the ground present their idea and business concept. The attendees are split up and begin working on putting together a business including financial plans, development plans, business plans, etc. It is a fast paced weekend where everyone has a chance to participate, learn, and add value. It was alot of fun and I had the opportunity to meet and work with some fantastic people.

Anyway, I was carpooling with another member of our team who lives in the same end of town as I do. Long story short, is that he returns to his van to find a ticket on it which states that it was because he was parked in a spot reserved for vans and trucks. So, if you take a look at the attached picture, you will see the red sign on the wall that states that the spot is reserved for vans and trucks….so far so good. Now, take a look at the vehicle….kind of looks like a van to me. So, now if this is not enough, if you again take a look at the picture you will see that it is listed as a Ford van….again looks like a Chevrolet van to me.

So what is my point? Well, we finished up our day on Sunday and all of us are emotionally and physically tired from an exhilarating weekend. However, rather than being able to get into our vehicle and go home to see our families which we did not see for the majority of the weekend, we had to search around to try and find the minimum wage parking cop. Of course, after almost 30 minutes the person who I was riding with returned with the security guard for the building as the parking cop was nowhere to be found. The building security person was helpful in that she took a picture of the vehicle in the spot and was going to send it to Imperial Parking Canada Corporation to have it fixed. My beef with this whole situation is that I along with my carpool counterpart had to give up our time with our families to clear up what was obviously an act of incompetence by the Imperial Parking cop. There is no denying that it is a van….and according to the sign it was legitimately parked in a spot reserved for vans and trucks. So, will I ever get that time back? No…Will Imperial Parking Canada ever apologize or compensate us in some way for our time wasted due to their incompetence? No. So, all I can do is put a post up like this to clearly show the incompetence of the Imperial Parking Canada Corporation employee.

So, who is their customer? The reality is that it is the building owner. The building offers free parking on the weekends to encourage customers to head to the downtown core, with the hopes of increasing people to spend money with the local shops and boutiques. However, you then have this parking company trying to find ways to still get their pound of flesh from anyone using this building over the weekend. And to top all of this, the building owner who most likely has to pay for the security company had some of the money they pay to these security guards wasted as the Imperial Parking cop was nowhere to be found when there was a problem.

So, I come back to the main question….why must I (along with the owner of the building) pay for your incompetence Imperial Parking Canada?