Marching Orders 2014: Bake a 'Business Pizza'
As part of RCP's 2014 "Marching Orders" feature, Ken Thoreson, principal at Acumen Management Group, gives his advice for how partners can succeed in the new year.
As I write this, many of my clients are working through their business-planning process for 2014. Done right, it expands past the one-page business plan and an Excel spreadsheet to a quarterly planning process by department with specific quarterly revenue goals. It also includes specific tactical plans for each partner's various sectors: sales, marketing, delivery and administration. I like to suggest this is their "Business Pizza" -- lots of ingredients broken in to digestible slices.
Focus on talent. Proper human ingredients will make all the difference in your business. It's also the hardest part. Hiring sales, marketing and delivery talent must be your No. 1 focus in 2014. To elevate your performance, you must have quality. Make it a goal to upgrade your talent level. It may take you four months to find the right salesperson who can professionally consult with your prospects by bringing the right mix of business expertise, savvy and a commanding presence.
Test your message. I've spent an enormous amount of time this past year with clients on learning to separate themselves from their competition by developing their marketing messaging and offerings. From thought leadership marketing ideas to vertical knowledge to new value propositions, Microsoft partners must be service-focused and offer levels of expertise that competitors can't match. Keep it grounded, though. Whatever messaging you create, you must be in a position to prove it during the sales process.
Posted on December 27, 2013