Roger Hitchcock's Blog
Thinking (and writing) and doing…Archive for September 6, 2009
Thoughts (and questions) about Questions (and answers)
When we are answering a question, do we stop at the first answer we get/find/discover?
What if a better answer lies in the 2nd, 3rd, 4th… 100th answer that is out there?
How hard do we WORK at discovery?
How much/deep are we willing to DIG (mentally, emotionally, intellectually etc) to get a better answer/solution?
Are we willing to give ourselves time to explore “new ground” (academically, intellectually, socially, environmentally, innovatively, emotionally, psychologically etc) in the pursuit of better answers?
How easy is it for us to “unseat” the established answers we cling to in the pursuit of a better (the best) answer?
Once we have found an answer do we treasure it, explore it, expand it, allow it to grow – and most importantly share it and allow it to shape our lives and actions?
Do we build onto the answers we find, by (finding/formulating and) asking more questions?
… In your thinking about thinking, ask more questions about your questions, as well as questions about your answers, individually and in a group.
I would love to explore more questions together with you – I do my own exploring, formulating and (hopefully) answering of questions in the work that I do at Corporate Initiatives Inc
Published from my Iphone.
Marketing Minute 2: Looking for the right eskimo…selling him the right refrigerator!!
Planning your Marketing and Sales Effort.
You sit with an abundance of products and services to sell – you even have a number of prospects lined up. Your client base is waiting to be effectively mined. It looks like success just waiting to happen.
But, something is holding you back… with all these opportunities waiting for you to seize a little question keeps bothering you… where do I begin? This is the question I hope to address in this Marketing Minute.
The common cliche (and song) gives us the most obvious answer, “start at the very beginning, it’s a very god place to start”. Unfortunately it is wrong! Effective Marketing starts somewhere completely different… it starts at the very end. Every effective strategic planning process starts at the end and works backwards to meet you where you are. And what is Marketing and Sales Planning if it is not an immensely strategic process – without it there is no long term direction, no sustainable momentum and ultimately no success!
See Starting backwards – posted on 04 September 2009…
In my mind the following lays out some of the key questions that must be addressed during any Marketing and Sales Planning exercise. Selling anything is simply the process of pulling together a defined set of needs and the most appropriate solution. Needs must be clearly identified and defined, this necessitates a clear understanding of the client and their particular set of needs.
It is much like trying to scale the face of a cliff – Key Questions to answer:
- Who am I speaking to? – understanding the lay of the land
- What reaction do I want them to have? – defining the end goal
- What context do they operate in? – looking for the right foothold
- What solutions do I have at my disposal? – examining my gear
- Where do I begin? – making the first move
The linked (Marketing and Sales Planning Template) expands on these questions to help you more effectively Market and Sell the products and Services at your disposal by creating a Marketing and Sales Map. Should there be a demand I am more than willing to run Workshops on Marketing and Sales Planning.
I hope these ideas help – please feel free to leave your comments.
Go to www.corporateinitiatives.co.za – where this is practically applied through what I do every day… contact me on roger@corporateinitiatives.co.za
