Is it All About Sales?

Over the years, I have heard versions of the same story from business owners, colleagues, clients, and friends. It’s sometimes a defensive remark, other times a plea for help, and often an automatic response to just about any question about their business. It's understandable because we are all impatient.

"We don’t need good people, we need revenue!"

Whether you're involved in a start-up or a global Fortune 100 enterprise, revenue health is important. No one expects companies to run at a loss but if people aren't important, poor morale and a shrinking bottom line will result.

"We don’t need culture, we need cash!"

Culture is not about high priced chairs and fresh pastries in the lunch room; it’s about open collaboration and clear leadership from everyone in the company. Simply yelling at sales people to make more calls won’t get it done.

"We don’t need leadership, we need sales!"

Engaging the team and involving them with decisions will help them understand what’s at stake. In the quest to make more money, companies need to remember the importance of their single most precious resource.

"We don’t need collaboration, we need profits!"

There are countless data outlining the chasm that exists between the terms “manager” and “leader” and you need the latter. Vision and focus are required and it takes leadership to get great work accomplished.

"We don’t need strategy, we need income!"

Customer service is critical but must begin inside the company. Yes we are all in sales but if you claim your company a "sales organization", it will seep into the culture and you won't have much more than a sales department.

Without strong leadership, a healthy culture, and cooperative collaboration, the chase for revenue remains long and painful.
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Collaborative Culture Creates Cash

Every company wants success. Every shareholder wants the stock price go up every day. You want this year to be better than last. So do I. But we hit snags, gain victories, trip up, succeed, and make mistakes, all because that is the human condition.

If you’re open to a bottom line that will grow while you are strengthening the goals and desires of your team members, you're halfway there. Take your eye off the revenue long enough to help your people grow and your revenue will follow.

Give then take

As Daniel Pink says, the carrots and the sticks approach, is antiquated and short-sighted. Time and time again, I've spoken with companies who list talent retention as a big concern yet they don’t invest ample time in helping their team members grow past orientation and basic training.

Money is a driver for why we show up to work every day but it shouldn't be the only one. And if it is for your team, you have a serious issue. We should encourage everyone to bring their life to work if we expect their work to have life. Leadership is about inspiring a culture of collaboration to reach the very goals we seek in the first place.

I think it's worth a try.
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We Just Need Sales!

Over the years, I have heard versions of the same story from business owners, colleagues, clients, and friends. It’s sometimes a defensive remark, other times a plea for help, and often an automatic response to just about any question about their business. It's understandable because we are all impatient.

"We don’t need good people, we need revenue!"

Whether you're involved in a start-up or a global Fortune 100 enterprise, revenue health is important. No one expects companies to run at a loss but if people aren't important, poor morale and a shrinking bottom line will result.

"We don’t need culture, we need cash!"

Culture is not about high priced chairs and fresh pastries in the lunch room; it’s about open collaboration and clear leadership from everyone in the company. Simply yelling at sales people to make more calls won’t get it done.

"We don’t need leadership, we need sales!"

Engaging the team and involving them with decisions will help them understand what’s at stake. In the quest to make more money, companies need to remember the importance of their single most precious resource.

"We don’t need collaboration, we need profits!"

There are countless data outlining the chasm that exists between the terms “manager” and “leader” and you need the latter. Vision and focus are required and it takes leadership to get great work accomplished.

"We don’t need strategy, we need income!"

Customer service is critical but must begin inside the company. Yes we are all in sales but if you claim your company a "sales organization", it will seep into the culture and you won't have much more than a sales department.

Without strong leadership, a healthy culture, and cooperative collaboration, the chase for revenue remains long and painful.

Kneale Mann

Glengarry Glen Ross

The Real Bottom Line

Every company wants success. Every shareholder wants the stock price go up every day. You want this year to be better than last. So do I. But we hit snags, gain victories, trip up, succeed, and make mistakes, all because that is the human condition.

Through my work, I love to help people understand themselves better so they can be more present, collaborative, and effective. If you’re a boss and you need to yell at people to make their numbers and it’s all about the bottom line, you may be looking at the wrong metrics.

If you’re open to a bottom line that will grow while you are strengthening the goals and desires of your team members, let’s chat. Take your eye off the revenue long enough to help your people grow and your revenue will follow.

Collaborative Culture Creates Cash

As Daniel Pink says, the carrots and the sticks approach, is antiquated and short-sighted. Time and time again, I've spoken with companies who list talent retention as a big concern yet they don’t invest ample time in helping their team members grow past orientation and basic training.

Money is a driver for why we show up to work every day but it shouldn't be the only one. And if it is for your team, you have a serious issue. We should encourage everyone to bring their life to work if we expect their work to have life.

Leadership is about inspiring a culture of collaboration 
to reach the very goals we seek in the first place.

Kneale Mann

zerodrop