Sales is from Venus...Marketing is from Mars!

Image Courtesy of Channel Marketer Report

The rarest thing to find is a great sales person who is also a great marketing person, or vice-versa.  This is because the skill sets for each position are polar opposites in most cases.

The best Marketing minds I have ever met in my life are also some of the most boring, analytical people you could ever imagine meeting.  They are in love with numbers, and obsessed with figuring out the mathematics behind everything.  Where sales on the other hand, though sometimes analytical, are more often your emotional creative types who also love problem solving, but rarely by the numbers.  Their focus is on making people happy and winning.

These differences in behavior is why I have emphasized to organizations to not group Sales and Marketing together under one flag, but to run them as separate teams that have leaders who work well together.  This way they can both be held to quotas and goals they both have the ability and resources to obtain:

Marketing - Generating "x" number of leads with "y" percent of those leads being qualified at an average cost per lead of "a" and a average cost per qualified lead of "b".

Sales - Convert "x" percent of the qualified leads with an average cost per acquisition of "y" and average revenue of "z".

The reason so many companies group these very different, but complimentary departments together is because the success of one can and most often is a direct result of the others success or failure.  But, by combining the two together what you typically see is a sales and marketing effort that is mediocre or that is more focused more on the sales end or marketing end, while the other, less focused on aspect suffers.

I believe all of you will agree that Marketing and Sales will always be tied at the hip.  But, it is important to also remember that for both to be successful, there must be a level of separation between the teams so both can focus on what they are the best at, Sales or Marketing, NOT BOTH!  This way the teams can both be successful, which in turn will make the overall organization that much more successful.

Because as any sales person will tell you, "Nothing happens till a sale is made!"


To Your Success & Prosperity!!!

An Academic Response To My 2013 Annual Letter

Yesterday I received the note below from my friend Professor Oscar Hauptman, who I met while speaking at the APOE annual conference in Wuhu, China last year.  Oscar is your quintessential Professor of Entrepreneurial Studies.  His vast knowledge of economics, marketing, and social behavior is nothing short of amazing.  

With that said, I always love his notes to me about communications I send out.  They are always stimulating and enlightening.  For this reason I thought it important to share his last note with all of you, as I really felt it to be one of the more fascinating notes he has sent.  As you will see, his note is focused on a quote I placed in my 2013 Annual Letter, which I have placed below.

"Excellent firms don't believe in excellence - only in constant improvement and constant change."

- Tom Peters, author of In Search of Excellence

_________________________________________________________________________________ 

Oscar Hauptman has sent you a message.

Date: 1/15/2013

Subject: RE: 2013 - Annual Letter

Thank you Michael and Happy New Year! 


I am enjoying this as your previous communiqués, keep it up!
 


Your quote stimulated the following stream of analysis and prescription. First, isn't it telling us something that most of the "Search of Excellence" companies "excellent" companies screwed up so bad that some went belly up in 5-10 years? My lessons are, repeated again and again: the moment you think you cracked the "code for success" you are sowing the seeds of your demise. 

Danny Miller wrote about it in the "architecture of simplicity" paper, suggesting that excellent companies, which are doing many things right to be excellent, reduce their complex repertoire to a "code"/"menu"/"recipe" of 5-10 rules, and this fucks them up badly, sometimes permanently. 
It is also about the very high cost of arrogance. 

So here is my list: 


1. You NEVER crack the code for success, as it changes daily; 


2. You NEVER know it all, as most there is to know lies beyond the horizon, which is impossible to observe; 


3. Motorcyclist's Rule: The moment you deem yourself an excellent driver, you should write your will and organ donation card. Applied to business: you are never a good enough "driver" (executive/decision-maker), as you are always driving beyond your capabilities and knowledge. 


4. Female corollary: Less testosterone reduces the risk of all the above, as women are on average less arrogant, less full of themselves, and more prudent in assessing risk in decision-making. 


5. Finally: Paranoia is good for you, as most businesses have real enemies. 


Oscar's 5 rules are things that so many of us businessmen and women forget to take into account when leading our organization.  We must remember that we don't know it all, and the moment we think we do, we need to fire our self, or prove to our self that we really don't.  This is the only way to continue to be successful as the world is ever changing, and our organizations must be just as changing to keep up. 

A great example of this is seen with Apple under the leadership of Tim Cook.  A great man, but maybe not as a great of leader for a company like Apple who has all of a sudden forgot that they are innovators not followers!  Tim's leadership style has been to rest on the greatness that was built for him by the late Steve Jobs.  We see this with the huge mess of up Apple Maps, the quick release of an unimpressive new iPad, and now the coming of a "Cheap" iPhone.

in closing I would like to share with you a little saying I tell myself each and everyday.  It is something that helps me get my mind focused on what I need to do each day.  "Push the boundaries of what is deemed impossible, as they are only there in your mind, not in reality!"

To Your Success & Prosperity!!

5 Steps To Building A Productive Linkedin Profile

To so many Linkedin is viewed as more in depth business card.  Which in some cases is true, but it is also so much more.  Used correctly, Linkedin can be the single best source for new job opportunities, expanding your network, finding mentors, getting cutting edge news and data, and even generating new business for your organization.

So how do you reap these benefits?

Below are six easy steps you need to take to make your profile not just another name on a list, but a profile that is productive for you and your organization.

1. Add or Update Your Profile Photo - Not having a photo on your profile is the fastest way to Linkedin Failure.  Having a "RECENT" photo shows that this profile is really you, and that you are engaged with your online network.  This is very important if you are looking for new business or job opportunities.

For those of you who do have a photo on your profile, you have taken a great first step.  But, you also must make sure to keep it updated!  One of the largest frustrations I have with profiles is meeting a person for the first time that looks nothing like their profile photo.  My issue with this is that it immediately raises red flags that this person may have self esteem issues, or may be hiding something.  It is always better to be upfront and honest with all the data on your profile, and your photo is no different.

2. Write an Engaging Bio - I am not saying you need to write Nobel Prize worthy bio, just something that can capture attention quickly, and make the person viewing your profile want to learn more.  Personally I find the use of carefully selected quotes (that I update annually) to be very useful.  The quote(s) I select are always relevant to the industry I work in, and reflect the image I wish to portray to my profile viewers.

A few other cleaver ideas I have seen are the use of jokes, personal mission statements, and great questions (i.e. - Do you need a person who can double your current sales in 12 months?).

The secret sauce is to be UNIQUE and CLEAVER and PERSONAL.  Make your bio reflect you, and make it standout so when someone reads it they will remember it and talk about it with others.  But, even more importantly make sure when you read it that is 100% YOU!

3. Keep Your Work Experience Up To Date! -  Not updating your work experience is by far one of the most common mistakes people make on Linkedin.  If something changes, it must be reflected on Linkedin ASAP.  It doesn't matter if it is something as small as your title changing from Sales Executive to Sr. Sales Executive, you need to memorialize it on Linkedin the day it happens.  This not only is important for future job opportunities, but it also sends out a note to your entire network, which can potentially jog their memory of a business opportunity they may need to talk to you about.

Remember, every opportunity to get in front of your network both digital and face-to-face is important not to waste.

--> As I was writing this post I received an email from Linkedin with the title "Who's Started Something New?"  Just proving my point that keeping your profile up to date is so important!

4. Beef Up Your Experience With Accomplishments - You don't have to win an official award to have accomplishments.  These can be as small as beating quota by 10% in a quarter, to as large as making the President's list at your company.  It is important to celebrate your professional accomplishments and share them with your network.  By doing this you do two things:

a) You show people that you celebrate all victories small and large, and take a positive view of everything going on.

A positive view of the world is a breath of fresh air to many employers, especially coming off the rocky economic times we all just went through.  People want to work with people that always see opportunity, even when no one else can.  This kind of attitude is what makes leaders, and that is what every company wants in their ranks, and as partners.

b) Accomplishments show prospects and your network that you are someone who strives to do more in your position that just hold a status quo.  When a potential employer or client sees this, it will help them view you as a resource, rather than another vendor or prospective employee.  Changing this view is so critical, as it then allows you to collaborate with a person, rather than just take orders from them.

--> It is important to note the importance of recommendations.  Many people will say that recommendations are the most important item for your profile.  Personally, I do agree they are important, but do not view them as mission critical.  Recommendations are things you do need to ask for, and will get when you have earned them from your network.  

One word of warning is that you need to make sure to only publish recommendations that is both impactful, and relevant to the image you are looking to portray on your profile.  So many times as I am reviewing a profile and reading peoples recommendation I begin to get confused by what the person actually did.  (i.e. - A VP of Sales received a recommendation from a co-worker in H.R. / Recruiting who mentioned that she always appreciated the help he would offer with recruiting efforts her team was working on.)  This raises two flags for me: Why is a Sales VP working on recruiting and not sales, and how does this tell me why this person was a good/great Sales VP?    

5. Stay Engaged and Active - Social media is not a set it and forget it environment.  It is communications channel that must be managed and supported on a regular basis.  Now I am not saying you need to be working on it 100% of your time.  What I am saying is that you do need to schedule 5 - 10 minutes a 2 - 3 times a day to check it and share some news about yourself or something going on in your professional environment (i.e. - News article, blog post, reactions to a new technology, etc...).

Though many do not believe it, people are curious about what you do, and what you think about.  Share it!  This will engage your network and help them become closer to you.  This way when an opportunity presents itself to them, that you could benefit from, they will come to you with it.

--> A great FREE resource I highly recommend to every busy professional is an online service called Buffer (https://bufferapp.com).  This service allows you to load up posts for all your Social Networking sites and then it will post them on a regular schedule throughout the day.  I have used this program with great success and HIGHLY recommend it to anyone looking to get more active, but can not be day-to-day.


If you follow these 5 easy steps you will be well on your way to building a GREAT network that your are engaged with, and can come to rely on for business opportunities for many years to come.

Feel free to visit my Linkedin page and add me to your network to see my profile in action!
http://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelcmcmillan/

To Your Success & Prosperity!!

2013 Annual Letter to Network

2013 is officially underway, and with this New Year beginning it is time for my annual letter to my network.

As in years past I first want to express my gratitude for including me as part of your network. I work hard every day to continue to grow my vast network so whenever you need assistance, I can have a resource available to you. In this way I look to not be another name in your vast Rolodex, but a trusted resource you can always rely on.

Looking forward to the year upon us, I am very excited to see so much business activity and growth is occurring in both of my focused market places, customer and patient experience. This continued focus to improve the way customer’s and patient’s react to our businesses products and services are vital to our ability to grow in these still uncertain economic times.

As your organization moves forward with any of your customer/patient experience projects, please feel free (as many of you do) to use my team, my network, and myself as a resource of knowledge and assistance. I am here to serve and help you, and your organization in anyway possible.  This way together we can both grow and be more successful.

So in closing I leave you with a quote that I am using to guide my thoughts and actions in this new year. I hope it will serve you, as it has me, to guide your teams to a very successful and prosperous 2013!

"Excellent firms don’t believe in excellence – only in constant improvement and constant change."

            - Tom Peters, author of In Search of Excellence

To Your Success & Prosperity,

Michael C. McMillan

New Year, New Focus!

It has taken me 30 years to come to the realization the setting a resolution for a new year does not work for me.  So this year I have decided to simply adjust my focus on certain things I am working toward and make them more important in my life.  For instance, I do want to lose weight, but rather than saying to myself, "I am going to finally drop this 100 pounds this year!" I am saying, "I am going to be careful of what I eat at every meal, and eat the way I know will help me be healthier."  The end result will be the same, except for the way I am doing it will stick.

So this is an example for my personal health, and it sickens me it took me this long to figure it out.  Especially since the idea is not new to me, it is what I have used in my professional life for years!!  Each year I use Christmas break to reflect on my last year, and come up with what I need to focus more attention to in the coming year.  So far this exercise has proven to be very successful, and I have started to do it on a more regular basis, still using Christmas break as my big reflection time.

FYI - I am in sales, so basically besides some self promotion work, my world stops for 1 - 2 weeks each year around this time.  So typically this is when I use my vacation time so I can get away and not have to continue to work while on vacation.  Just incase you were curious by what I mean by "Christmas Break".

So far using this method in my personal life has allowed me to drop 13.5 pounds and feel great.  But, the best part is that I don't feel like I am on a diet, since it is not some crazy goal, simply a change in my focus.

So if you have some kind of "resolution" you have set, I would strongly suggest you drop it now, and look to adjust your life focus that can make you meet your "resolution."  This I bet will prove much more obtainable and successful in the long run!

AMAZING POEM For Newtown, CT Children & Families!!

All of us get these random emails send by friends, family and spammers.  But, rarely would I ever think of forwarding them, and never before have I taken the time to write about on here on my blog.

All of that changes today, because today I received the most touching chain email of my life.  Maybe "Chain" email is not the right word, maybe inspirational sharing is better.  What ever the title the result was the same.  

After reading the poem written by Cameo Smith, I was beyond moved.  Finally a person who decided to write something not demanding action from the government, or sorrow for the parents.  No, this was an email helping everyone see that these children are okay, and in the best of hands.

So please take a moment to read the poem below and share it with your friends, family, coworkers, etc... and remember how lucky you are to have those people to share this with.

_________________________________________________________________________________

Twas’ 11 days before Christmas, around 9:38

When 20 beautiful children stormed through heaven’s gate.

Their smiles were contagious, their laughter filled the air.

They could hardly believe all the beauty they saw there.

They were filled with such joy, they didn’t know what to say.

They remembered nothing of what had happened earlier that day.

“where are we?” asked a little girl, as quiet as a mouse.

“this is heaven.” Declared a small boy.

“we’re spending Christmas at God’s house.”

When what to their wondering eyes did appear,

But Jesus, their savior, the children gathered near.

He looked at them and smiled, and they smiled just the same.

Then He opened His arms and He called them by name.

And in that moment was joy, that only heaven can bring

Those children all flew into the arms of their King

And as they lingered in the warmth of His embrace,

One small girl turned and looked at Jesus’ face.

And as if He could read all the questions she had

He gently whispered to her, “I’ll take care of mom and dad.”

Then He looked down on earth, the world far below

He saw all the hurt, the sorrow and woe

Then He closed His eyes and He outstretched His hand,

“Let My power and presence re-enter this land!”

“may this country be delivered from the hand of fools”

“I’m taking back my nation. I’m taking back my schools!”

Then He and the children stood up without a sound

“come now my children, let me show you around.”

Excitement filled the space, some skipped and some ran.

All displaying enthusiasm that only a small child can.

And I heard Him proclaim as He walked out of sight.

“in the midst of this darkness, I AM STILL THE LIGHT.”

-Written by Cameo Smith, Mt. Wolf , PA

Selling My Childhood Home

Trying to sell the home I grew up in.

WOW!

What a weird mix of emotions this is causing.

After my fathers passing I knew this was something I was going to have to do, but nothing really gets you ready for this undertaking.  Just walking into my dad's bedroom felt like I was crossing into a foreign country illegally.  Then having to go through all his clothes and personal effects was almost to much to bare.  But, today was the icing on the cake, receiving the MLS link to the place I called home for my entire childhood.

http://www.coldwellbankeronline.com/property/details/2924300/MLS-08235204/1225-Jamie-Lane-Homewood-IL-60430.aspx

There are so many stories and memories made in and around this home.  From snowball fights across the driveway to making the front stairwell into a slide.  It was the one place that was consistently in my life, till now.

But, at some point I guess we all have to let go of some of the physical items of our past and just focus on the memories of them.  Still, this is not an easy undertaking.  I am so happy I have my friends and family by my side helping me get through it.