http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/11/AR2010011103365.html
Carolyn Butler
The Washington Post
January 12, 2010
I’m not normally one to rant about things, particularly in a public forum, but I think that these people have been wearing me down and caught me on a day when I was just too frustrated to put up with more. Who are these people, the subject of my tirade? They are the team at Salesforce.com. Many of you know Salesforce – they make an on-line CRM (client relationship management) tool that helps companies aggregate all of their contacts, leads, potential clients and clients into a single sharable database. The technology is great and they have done wonders for making it easier and easier to follow-up with people and keep prospects and suspects moving through your process. But sometimes the ease at which you can automate these contacts can lead to the exact opposite reaction, as so perfectly demonstrated by Salesforce.com’s use of their own tools and processes.
I evaluated their solutions in September and I should have known what I was in for then. A free 30 day trial – just sign up and start using it. If you like it, then sign up on a contract, if not, no problem. Day one of the trial: call and email from my friendly sales representative. Day three: tricks and tips for how to get the most out of Salesforce. Day five: phone call, “Can we get you signed up for an online Webinar on how to use the system better?” Day ten: phone call, “So how is it going?” And so it went. The system worked well, so I bit the bullet and signed up. Minimum contract is just 12 months. Little did I know that that was simply to ensure that they had enough time to beat you into submitting to calls, seminars, sales pitches on all of the other ways that Salesforce can be your new best friend.
Today was my breaking point. I’m running a business here. I have been nice…then less nice, when I’ve received continued sales calls and emails from these people. “No thanks, I’m just interested in the one license for just the one feature.” And, “As I’ve said before, I’m not interested in anything more from you guys. Please stop calling me.” So today, a nice note from Kristen M. from Salesforce, letting me know that she is working with my sales rep, Nicholas F., (which is surprising because that is the one person that I have never heard of, nor from) and she wanted to have an exploratory conversation with me. Now, Kristen has emailed me before and I was very direct about my use of the product at that time. We exchanged several emails about this, which by the nature of this product that they also use internally, have to be attached to my file. My first response today was direct and short, “Thanks for the email, but I don’t think that I am interested at this time.”
Unfortunately for her, she emailed me back to let me know that she appreciates my candor, but that she has been speaking to other people at Insight Professional Services that have indicated their desire to implement more of the features of Salesforce. She wants to learn more about our focus as a corporation so that she can share how their services can bring the most out of our business. blah blah blah…
My next response (and more wasted time) inquired as to whom she is talking to in my company, since no one has heard of her, and explained that we are a small but growing company but that we don’t need any of their products. Further, I let her know that the constant bombardment of sales calls and email campaigns is a huge detriment to a relationship with Salesforce and to please put our company onto their “Do Not Contact” list, pronto. As of the writing of this post, I have not heard a response. I was tempted to cc: Jim Steele, President Worldwide Sales and Chief Customer Officer, but De Ann thought that might be a bit much. It’s probably part of their internal sales requirements, anyway.
So the next time you are tempted to automate the message and the timing of your sales emails, make sure that you consider that they might not be as well received as you might think. No one likes to feel like they are shoved into a database and auto-marketed to…it is a turn-off.
Let me know what you think about Salesforce… And I’ll let you know if I hear back from them!
http://smartblogs.com/socialmedia/2010/01/15/engagement-rule-no-1-thou-shalt-make-it-easy/
Jesse Stanchak
SmartBlogs on Social Media
January 15, 2010
The easier you make it to contribute to/help/join a cause, the more likely it is that you will get the help you are looking for. The Red Cross raised $8 million for Haiti, just by making it really easy to text a number to donate $10.
Two Key Numbers You Need to Know to Manage Your Small Business
By: Trent Hamm
American Express OPEN Forum
January 12, 2010
The single most-often heard answer I received when I ask business owners how they measure the success of their business is “How much cash I have in the bank.” Trent’s blog puts a little more definition into that metric by looking at a 30 day average of the cash on hand instead. Add to that a look at the average number of days for a customer to pay, and you will have some pretty good information about how the business is trending.
http://steveboese.squarespace.com/journal/2009/12/29/stop-doing-stupid-things.html
Steve Boese
December 29, 2009
A great and effective tool for increasing your productivity and removing redundancy from the workplace: “Take a few minutes to ask a simple question - Is this good, or is it stupid? And if it is stupid, toss it in the trash.” A great approach, as long as those making those good vs. stupid decisions are fully aware of all aspects of each issue – stupid to one department might be critical to another.
I recently read an article arguing that behaving ethically isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s also good for business (read it here). While this particular article focuses on truth and transparency in social media, it reminded me of a recent customer service situation that could have turned out much differently.
Over the 2009 holiday season we flew to New York for some quality time with family. After 5 fun-filled days and nights it was time to head home. We persuaded my cousin to rise early and drive us to Westchester County Airport first thing Sunday morning and we arrived at the tiny airport in plenty of time to check-in, have our bags screened and be escorted to the tiny plane – all by the same person.
Once on the tiny plane (1 seat on one side, two seats on the other, 12 rows total) I soon realized that my seat (12C) doesn’t exist. I approached the Flight Attendant, and as soon as I told her my seat doesn’t exist she said, “12C?” Clearly, I’m not the first passenger with this fake seat assignment… Anyway, she escorted me to the opposite end of the plane, where I was to sit backwards facing the other 30 passengers. I was practically sitting in the pilot’s lap.
We waited for nearly an hour, by this time everyone wondering what is going on and when we are leaving. Soon we learn that the plane is overweight (sorry!) and they need 5 people and their luggage off the plane before cleared for takeoff. As an aside, I silently wonder how such a tiny plane can be more than 1,500 pounds overweight – the plane itself can’t weigh much more than that.
Airline staff approached passengers about their connecting flights – everyone is connecting, this is a small regional airport after all – but one woman tries to pull rank by announcing that she has to work the following morning because she’s a physician. [Insert 30-person eye-roll here.] Mr. Agent asks where we are headed and quickly assures me there is another flight that will get us to Denver. I fall for it, and send him back to the opposite corner of the tiny plane to inform my travel companion we have been volunteered to exit the plane with our belongings.
So far, so so, right? Minutes later when we approach the check-in desk we learn that a) Mr. Agent fibbed to us to get people off the plane, including the physician and her family, and b) there are no other flights even possible unless we can get ourselves to another airport, at our own expense. Our friendly ticket desk agent is just as angry with the young man who promised an easy solution to our travel dilemma, and he didn’t hide it.
The ticketing agents scrambled to help the five of us who were displaced. They juggled calls to customer service, other airlines and still had a line of people checking in for the next flight. We tried very hard to be patient – after all, it wasn’t either of these two men who tricked us – and it eventually paid off. The ticketing agent found us guaranteed space on flights the next morning (the same schedule we attempted the first time). Fortunately, we have family in the area so were able to stay another night at their house for free. We had no transportation, so we rented a cheap car at our own expense to get us back and forth to the airport the following morning.
The payoff? The next day’s travel was smooth – no delays or interruptions of any kind – and we were upgraded to United’s Business Class on a brand new plane for the Dulles to Denver leg. In short, it was awesome: seats that recline to a flat position, real full-size blankets, huge monitors that we could watch and play games on during any part of the flight, a decent meal, priority boarding and luggage retrieval, and water service as soon as you’re seated. Not bad for a little snafu the day before, and I can assure you that the extra day of vacation and a stress-free, upgraded flight – plus a free round-trip ticket each – more than makes up for the inconvenience of renting a car and staying an extra night.
This all reminds me of the notion that if you do the right thing in business, as well as in your personal life, you will be rewarded. The United employees who helped ultimately did the right thing by booking us guaranteed seats and giving us some perks, like 2 free round-trip tickets. As travelers, we ultimately did the right thing, too, because we were patient and treated the agents respectfully, which seems simple but I’m sure we’ve all seen customers becoming out of control during travel, particularly when plans change significantly. Granted, we benefited far more than the agents who helped us – they only received the pleasure of one less customer yelling at them. We parted shaking hands and thanking them for getting it done, and they thanked us for being understanding. No strong words were exchanged, no voices were raised, and no nasty-grams were sent. It really is that simple.
http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2009/12/why_you_should_fire_yourself.html
Ron Ashkenas
Harvard Business Review
December 30, 2009
In his blog, Ashkenas points out that many leaders are reluctant to make changes in approach or direction because they become too enamored with their previous plans and ideas. Even when they realize that the world around them has changed, many find it hard to let go of the old ideas and embrace the new. He recommends “firing yourself” and then asking what you would do if you were coming into the role fresh and new. An interesting exercise for the new year.
Women, young adults lead increase in social entrepreneurism
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/bus/stories/123109dnbusnicecompany.39933c7.html
Sherly Jean
The Dallas Morning News
December 31, 2009
A promising trend as reported by the Dallas Morning News: An increase in Social Entrepreneurship, companies with both for-profit and charitable goals. Whether it is the donation of some portion of the profits from their existing business, or development of for-profit businesses tied directly to their charities of choice, these businesses are proving that you can make money and take care of your community.
The Innovator’s DNA
http://knowledge.insead.edu/innovation-innovators-dna-091221.cfm?vid=358
Hal Gregersen
INSEAD
December 2009
After interviewing 3,500 business leaders over six years, this team of researchers determined that some core traits help innovators develop new ideas and see them through to successful implementation: Associating – Observing – Experimenting – Questioning – Networking. While not every innovator has the same skills or even all of these traits developed, they tend to be strong in at least a couple. I find that I lean heavily toward Networking and Associating… where do you fall?
Keys to hiring great commissioned salespeople
http://rehaul.com/hiring-commissioned-salespeople-dont-use-a-standard-selection-process/
Haun offers insights on how companies should approach the hiring of commissioned sales staff. Sales people will be the most successful if they feel as though they are in partnership with the business, so conducting interviews as if you were looking for a business partner may yeild more favorable long-term hiring results.
