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Using Stretch Goals to I nspire Excellence in Team Stretch goals can motivate people to achieve the seemingly impossible. Some of the world's greatest feats were accomplished by people not smart enough to know they were impossible. – Doug Larson, journalist. Think about some of the things people have accomplished that previously seemed impossible: examples include the Wright Brothers' first flight, space exploration, face transplantation, and the eradication of polio in India. We can achieve greatness by setting extremely ambitious goals – these can push people to new heights and inspire them to do amazing things. However, if we set goals like this carelessly in the workplace, they can backfire and lead to loss of credibility, disengagement, stress, and burnout. Goals like this are often known as "stretch goals." Let’s see how you can use them effectively with your team. What are Stretch Goals? "An organizational goal with an objective prob...

Sales is a function [f(x)] of Communication     Unlike established corporate functions like accounting, finance and marketing, sales enablement is still evolving, and the term means different things to different companies. This assessment couldn’t be more spot-on (he even points out that the word “enablement” isn’t technically a word at all). While nearly every organization today has some sort of sales enablement function, only some are formalized as such, many report into different departments, and almost all are different. This has left us without a common, universally accepted definition of what sales enablement truly means. A systematic approach to helping reps prepare for customer interactions, engage effectively with their audiences, and advance sales opportunities to close. The key to all of this? Powerful content and communications. One of the reasons we feel confident in this definition is because so many others in the industry agree. Check out s...

Give people a bit of your Heart than a piece of your Mind Trust me - YOU will be happier if you give people a bit of your heart rather than a piece of your mind We all need air, water, and food to survive. But I would argue that we also need relationships that work to make our survival desirable and worthwhile. And it doesn’t matter if we’re talking about work relationships or family relationships. We all need good, healthy, positive interpersonal relationships in both arenas of our lives. What have I accomplished throughout my career (apart from the TVA) is building a stronger work environment filled with positive people!!! I have been telling myself, since the first day of the ‘Journey,’ that I am a very patient father. The approach is bringing us closer every day. Of course, I can’t give you magic pill to change everything in a day but I can tell you … if you do these things … you will build relationships that work and a very positive and productive work place. ...

How to enhance sales through product training Explore why product training fails and what can be done to succeed in this area. Poor product training often results in low sales revenues and slow take-up of new products. the dilemma is that customer-centric sales people (ie., not product specialists) need to spend as much time as possible in front of customers and not in training sessions. however, the more they know about how their company's products and services solve their customer's business problems, the more opportunities they'll create. Sales people often avoid any product training, feeling that it is a waste of their time similarly product managers and marketers often feel frustrated by　 the lack of interest in training and poor results out in the field. So what can be done to succeed in this area… Any discussion of product training needs to define two concepts, as these concepts hold sway in today's high-tech marketplaces. the first concept, not sur...

Productivity: More Than Just the Topline     Many sales leaders believe that the definitions of sales productivity and sales performance are one and the same. Sales productivity, however, focuses on the act of selling rather than the end result generated. By targeting and measuring the improvement of sales productivity, you will in turn drive better sales performance Don’t ask how, just how many. This statement typifies the way most companies measure their sales organization; simply hire all of the great salespeople you can afford and count the revenue that comes in on the back end. If the team performs as we had hoped and its numbers are hit, we say it was productive; if not, it wasn’t. The question is, are these terms – performance and productivity – interchangeable for one another? Or could it be that in today’s complicated b-to-b environment, simply lumping them together is entirely too simplistic? In this brief, we detail how mixing measurements of sales (p...

From Rx to OTC drugs: Challenges for marketing and sales In light of increasing patent expiration rates, a switch from Rx to OTC proves to be a successful counter-strategy against generic erosion. As a result, marketers face challenges entering a new competitive environment. Global trends Upon patent expiry, pharmaceutical companies risk losing sales, highlighting the importance of implementing successful strategies for brand expansion. As a result, increased numbers of prescription drugs are being made available over the counter worldwide. The Rx to OTC switch is a strategic option for extending a product’s revenue stream for pharmaceutical companies. The movement to switch drugs from prescription to OTC status is consistent with the increasingly prevalent model of the consumer’s central role in healthcare systems, and taking more control over their health. Challenges to marketers The decision to switch from Rx to OTC is a real challenge. Transition to an OTC market not ...

Empathy is the Force that moves Business Forward One of the hallmarks of a successful business is its ability to harness creativity to constantly push into new territory. Without growth and innovation, businesses stagnate and eventually fade away. Those with staying power, however, have mastered an intangible, often overlooked factor that allows them to focus on the future with clarity: empathy. While that may surprise many, I am certain that the ability to connect with and relate to others—empathy in its purest form—is the force that moves businesses forward. Though the concept of empathy might contradict the modern concept of a traditional workplace—competitive, cutthroat, and with employees climbing over each other to reach the top— the reality is that for business leaders to experience success, they need to not just see or hear the activity around them, but also relate to the people they serve. Some may think they see the results they want from doggedly pursuing their...

    Why 'e' learning matters in an organization 'e' means effective Learning matters because in an organisation it helps the employees for a deeper understanding of the domain so that it motivates all to do things effectively and to bring in creativity & continuous improvement in process. The change that a leader needs to bring in revolves around the 3 Cs (Competitors, Consumers & Capability). We can do it by integrating science with consumer understanding to address routine-disrupting needs. The root of all this is people who represent the organisation right from the grass root level to the board room. In order to bring in that radical change and to increase the TAT what is need is the right mix of knowledge & understanding. Learning is done best when its done at a time which suits the learner (when his mind is open) and thru some amount of help & guidance by the trainer. If the said understanding can be made more clear to all concerned,...