The #1 question I get from potential clients:  “How much will it cost to implement your market analysis?”  The real question they are asking:  “When can I expect to recoup the investment I’ve made in our work?”  The answer to the first question:  very little hard cost because the first thing you will need to change is your sales conversations.  The answer to the second question:  your ROI depends on how quickly you make those changes.  Here’s my latest video rant on sales conversations.

Yes, buyers have always had options, but the white noise is a lot louder now.  Add their jaded “I’ve worked with experts before and nothing good happened” stories to the mix and we’re put in the position of weakness before the sales process begins.

The biggest change in sales conversations is not the clever ways we describe our work.  It’s in setting up the discoveries buyers have when we talk with them.  The better the discoveries, the more compelling we are.  The ‘gotta have’ experts create that “I have to work with you” reaction by showing what they can do first, then selling the idea of applying that experience in a different format.  We will explore the major changes coming up on the November 23rd call on sales conversations for Extreme Mini Makeovers.  This is the last call of the series, so you’ll get the mp3 files of all the other calls when you register.

What’s on the radar of major global players?  Creative leadership according to IBM’s Working Beyond Borders, a study of global HR folks.  Over 700 chief HR individuals from 61 countries participated.  Here’s what they see:

• The need to balance strategies that drive growth with sustained efficiency.  In other words, growth at any price is no growth at all.
• The next big challenge:  responding to market opportunities with speed and flexibility.  This can be achieved by mining the “collective intelligence” of the workforce.
• Conventional wisdom predicted workforce movement away from “mature markets” such as the U.S. to take advantage of emerging countries.  Now growth is moving both ways, with many predicting increased hiring in the U.S.

Bottom line:  the C-suite knows that how we work will undergo massive change.  They know what has to happen; they don’t know how to make it happen.  And better yet:  these buyers know that past attempts have been unsuccessful.

This is good news for a wide variety of experts, from work culture types to right-brained process consultants.  Click here to read the entire study.

Everyone is talking about reinvention nowadays.  My take:  we are not re-inventing.  We are finding new uses for what we already know.  My favorite example:  historian Bruce Weindruch uses his academic training to help organizations create their histories for branding purposes.  His company, The History Factory, is considered the pioneer in the “heritage management” movement and works with market leaders such as Boeing and Brooks Brothers.  The result:  a staff of 30 and annual revenues of more than $10M.

How did he do it?  Mr. Weindruch took what he knew best (principals of archival and history gathering) and invented a new discipline (heritage management).  He then used a variety of tools — such as videos, books, websites, corporate documentaries — so he wasn’t limited to one product offering.  Instead, he took advantage of the C-suite’s interest in communication by adding a new perspective on creative strategy.  That helped him bypass the lower-level buyers who would beat him up on price.

The good news:  this success story happens all the time.  When will you start this journey?  If you need some inspiration, click here for Mr. Weindruch’s story.  (And email me at vsullivan@sullivanspeaker.com when you are ready to move.)

Ever wanted to see all your social media options in one place?  Brace yourself and check out this colorful chart by media thought leader Brian Solis and graphic magicians at JESS3.

Called the Conversation Prism, this chart shows you the social media universe as it is today; the networks are categorized by how you use them.  It’s easy to get overwhelmed when you see all the platforms out there.  Your next step:  take a breath and decide where to go based on what’s next for your business.

Another question:  what are YOU doing to make your ideas visual?  This chart is a great example of how to bridge the gap between what you know and your buyers can use.  It’s the kind of stuff that ‘gotta have’ experts do all the time.  Remember, the handier the tool, the more you stand out.

Great insights from Strategy +Business article on how consumers react when faced with too many choices.  This is why the best choice (or vendor) will be passed by for easier options that will actually hurt the client (such as doing nothing).

The article suggests four ways to manage the choices so folks can make a decision.  The best one for experts:  personalized recommendations.  It’s not enough to tell folks what we will do for them.  We have to cut through our own clutter and recommend specific plans of action.  My strategy:  put the structure of what I offer on my website and recommend which one would be best when I talk with someone.  Client gets the best of both worlds.

How do you help clients manage the choices you provide?

Those who know me well have heard countless stories about ‘Disneyland in the Desert’, when my nephew, Chase, would head west every summer.  It was a wild week of movies (13 in four days is our personal best), balloon rides, and a gazillion kisses from his Arizona grandma (my mom).  I knew we had fun, but never realized the impact of those trips until this conversation at his funeral:

Friend of Chase (FoC):  You’re Chase’s aunt from Arizona?

Me:  Maybe.  What did she do?

FoC:  Seriously.  He raved about his trips out there.  He had the best time hanging out with you.  He was so excited to go and when he came back, we’d hear all these stories about all the cool things you did with him.  He said that someday he was going to move to Arizona.  I want you to know how much he loved those trips…

Me:  speechless.

Wow.  I had no idea the impact of a good visit.  So as we kick off the summer vacation season, let’s remember that it’s not the lavishness of our adventures.  It’s the connections we create when we go off work mode.  And that track record is more important than whatever results we create with our clients.

As for Chase, he’s pain free now and hangin’ with his Arizona grandma.  Thanks, dude, for 22 years of fun.