Getting to "YES"
We have all been in a business meeting presenting an idea that we are convinced will make our company more successful, reduce costs, or increase sales only to suddenly find ourselves back on our heels, defensive and stumbling as we retreat from a withering storm of criticism, questions and negativity. By the end of the meeting our idea is a smoldering wreck burning in the center of the board room table or has been banished to the purgatory of “committee study” doomed to be ignored, watered down or simply forgotten.
What can we do to prevent our ideas from crashing and burning? How can we become bulletproof and take our good ideas with us? This is the central question posed in the book “Buy*in” by John P. Kotter. This little gem provides practical advice, verbal shields and effective diffusion methods that help you defend a good idea from those with their own agenda.
Using a fictitious public meeting for a library technology proposal as the example, “Buy*in” introduces you to all the various examples of questions critics use to delate your idea balloon. It specifically defines a couple of dozen common road blocks like “Why change what is already working?” Or “Where is the money going to come from to finance this idea?” Each criticism is clearly defined and carefully crafted responses are offered for each one. Each answer is simple, non threatening, positive and encouraging. They keep focused on moving the project forward and avoid getting tangled up in arguments, committees, and negativity. Responding to the “We’ve been successful, so why change?” argument the writer offers this response, “True. But surely we have all seen that those that fail to adapt eventually become extinct.”
In my business getting my clients to consider their marketing as a strategic rather than a tactical problem is always a challenge. Rather than immediately jumping to a tactical solution (I need to buy an ad to boost sales) I ask my clients to step back and consider who they wish to target getting more focused on a specific group, rather than taking a broader “shotgun” approach. I encourage them to look for a advertising concept that will set them apart, define their niche, and speak directly to those customers most likely to act on their offer.
What never works, in my experience and the author’s, is to try to exclude those who may try to derail your idea. The old saying “Keep your friends close and your enemy’s closer” may be a bit aggressive, but you do need to ensure all voices are heard. Be respectful, keep your responses clear, simple and logical. Maintain your focus on the whole group, not simply on the attacker. Be prepared, do your homework and take nothing for granted.
Framing their strategic marketing challenges as a way of positively affecting their bottom line usually hits home for my clients. Getting them to see that they need to look at value, rather than price, means I spend a lot of time with them reviewing their current marketing efforts and refining, defining and determining what their “value proposition” is and reallocating resources to capture the audience they are targeting. Getting to a yes means educating them, answering their questions and framing everything to conform with their goals.
I get asked “How do I measure the return on my investment?” My standard response is “Well that depends, do you want to generate sales or build Brand recognition?” Each requires a different advertising strategy. The traditional measure is “reach”, how many people get exposed to my Brand for every dollar I spend? The second is “response”, how many folks called, visited, or clicked on my website? The third is “perception”, What are people saying about my company and can I influence that? These result in your ROI but rarely is the result clearly defined. If you are an ice cream seller and the day your ads launch the temperature spikes and sales soar, what percentage of the increase is attributable to the ad campaign rather than fortunate weather? So sometimes it boils down to faith, trust and need. Do they trust my advice? Is their need so great it pushes them to action? Do they have faith in their product or service and believe they have something of value to offer customers?
Getting to yes is a process that we undertake together. It’s not something we can insist on and it’s not something that happens overnight. Clients must buy-in to what you are preaching. They need to have faith that your combination of experience, education, expertise and intelligence can help them. It takes a great team of people with specific talents, skills and diverse experience to work.
Do you have what it takes to get to yes?
What can we do to prevent our ideas from crashing and burning? How can we become bulletproof and take our good ideas with us? This is the central question posed in the book “Buy*in” by John P. Kotter. This little gem provides practical advice, verbal shields and effective diffusion methods that help you defend a good idea from those with their own agenda.
Using a fictitious public meeting for a library technology proposal as the example, “Buy*in” introduces you to all the various examples of questions critics use to delate your idea balloon. It specifically defines a couple of dozen common road blocks like “Why change what is already working?” Or “Where is the money going to come from to finance this idea?” Each criticism is clearly defined and carefully crafted responses are offered for each one. Each answer is simple, non threatening, positive and encouraging. They keep focused on moving the project forward and avoid getting tangled up in arguments, committees, and negativity. Responding to the “We’ve been successful, so why change?” argument the writer offers this response, “True. But surely we have all seen that those that fail to adapt eventually become extinct.”
In my business getting my clients to consider their marketing as a strategic rather than a tactical problem is always a challenge. Rather than immediately jumping to a tactical solution (I need to buy an ad to boost sales) I ask my clients to step back and consider who they wish to target getting more focused on a specific group, rather than taking a broader “shotgun” approach. I encourage them to look for a advertising concept that will set them apart, define their niche, and speak directly to those customers most likely to act on their offer.
What never works, in my experience and the author’s, is to try to exclude those who may try to derail your idea. The old saying “Keep your friends close and your enemy’s closer” may be a bit aggressive, but you do need to ensure all voices are heard. Be respectful, keep your responses clear, simple and logical. Maintain your focus on the whole group, not simply on the attacker. Be prepared, do your homework and take nothing for granted.
Framing their strategic marketing challenges as a way of positively affecting their bottom line usually hits home for my clients. Getting them to see that they need to look at value, rather than price, means I spend a lot of time with them reviewing their current marketing efforts and refining, defining and determining what their “value proposition” is and reallocating resources to capture the audience they are targeting. Getting to a yes means educating them, answering their questions and framing everything to conform with their goals.
I get asked “How do I measure the return on my investment?” My standard response is “Well that depends, do you want to generate sales or build Brand recognition?” Each requires a different advertising strategy. The traditional measure is “reach”, how many people get exposed to my Brand for every dollar I spend? The second is “response”, how many folks called, visited, or clicked on my website? The third is “perception”, What are people saying about my company and can I influence that? These result in your ROI but rarely is the result clearly defined. If you are an ice cream seller and the day your ads launch the temperature spikes and sales soar, what percentage of the increase is attributable to the ad campaign rather than fortunate weather? So sometimes it boils down to faith, trust and need. Do they trust my advice? Is their need so great it pushes them to action? Do they have faith in their product or service and believe they have something of value to offer customers?
Getting to yes is a process that we undertake together. It’s not something we can insist on and it’s not something that happens overnight. Clients must buy-in to what you are preaching. They need to have faith that your combination of experience, education, expertise and intelligence can help them. It takes a great team of people with specific talents, skills and diverse experience to work.
Do you have what it takes to get to yes?
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