Harmonic Motion

Posted on August 18, 2011 by jmichaeldunn

I don’t know who Allen is, but his video resonated strongly with me.  Not only is it an example of fun with physics, but it also got me thinking about the relationship between marketing & sales teams.  But first, the video:

Every individual in your marketing & sales teams have their roles to play and strengths to add to the group.  Each person can be thought of as a pendulum as seen here in the video.  At first the pendulums swing in a nice wave motion…it’s visually appealing to behold.  After a while, things start to get more discordant.  Before long, each one is doing its own thing.  Luckily at the end, they get back on track with the cool, “we’re working together”, wave motion.

Here are a few ideas on how to keep your pendulums, your marketing & sales teams, synchronized in the right pattern and working together:

  • Communicate clearly the value proposition(s) and messaging for your product & company.  Ensure they are understood by everyone on the team.
  • Hold regular calls with the sales & marketing teams together.  If your teams are too big to make that practical, then ensure that there is some representation from sales at regular marketing dept. meetings and vice versa.
  • Marketing personnel should regularly co-travel with reps in the field.  Many marketers do not understand the isolation and challenges which come with being in the field.
  • Prior to unleashing new marketing communications tactics, preview them with the field.  Ensure sales knows ahead of time what messages their current & prospective customers will be seeing.
  • Sales reps, give constructive feedback to marketing on marketing communications, product performance, etc.  Don’t just say something sucks.  Tell us why it sucks.
  • Stay focused on the organization’s vital fews.
  • Perhaps above all else, foster an environment where sales and marketing personnel realize and believe they are on the same team.

It is crucial that your marketing and sales teams are working together and are in sync with respect to your company’s message, value propositions, and image.  Luckily even if they do get out of step, they can be led back into a harmonic rhythm. 

What tips do you have for ensuring sales & marketing teams stay synchronized and harmoniously work together?

Posted in Dental, Marketing | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Teeth

Posted on August 11, 2011 by jmichaeldunn

I’ve heard on more than one occasion a dentist say something akin to “I’m just a dentist”.  Think about that – just a dentist.  Aside from all the talk about oral-systemic links and references to the dentist as “physician of the mouth”, that phrase is ridiculous.  It is also a little disheartening.

As I went for a walk with my dog this morning, I thought about this.  At the simple core of the matter, dentists help us to take care of, preserve, and keep our teeth.  The only “just” to that is… it’s just awesome!  So here are a few major aspects of our lives that are affected by our teeth and therefore by our dentist friends:

  • Eating.  Without your teeth, eating becomes much more difficult.  Sure it’s simple, but you can’t deny it.  Healthy teeth are essential to eating, chewing, and therefore getting the right nutritional elements from a healthy, varied diet.
  • Talking.  Communicating with others is greatly influenced by teeth.  This isn’t limited to just talking – singing, whispering, rapping, and screaming at the top of your lungs are all included.
  • Smiling.  Your smile is your “welcome” sign to the world.  It’s one of a few ways to make that vital first impression. 
  • Facing the world.  Teeth help to maintain the bone in the jaws.  Lose your teeth, and you start to lose that bone.  Over time, your visage changes.  The world will never see you the same way again.
  • Showing affection.  OK, this may be an “off label” use, but who doesn’t enjoy a good nibble every now and then?
  • Opening things.  Again, another “off label” use, but at one time or another almost everyone has torn into some packaging with their teeth.

Sure, it’s not an exhaustive list, but these things are just important.  I know there are others I’m surely missing.  I look forward to hearing how important you think our teeth and dentists are.

Posted in Dental | Tagged | 4 Comments

Vital Fews

Posted on August 9, 2011 by jmichaeldunn

I recently had the opportunity to spend some time with a mentor I haven’t seen in a while.  He also happens to be a key opinion leader and one of the brightest minds in our industry.  As usual I was awestruck.  This time it was by his clarity of focus.  He has managed to build systems and teams around himself which allow him to focus on mid- and long-term strategy, to avoid the everyday noise & interference, and ultimately to execute at the highest level those vital few strategies he has chosen.

It is easy to get caught up in the daily noise.  It can be tempting to want and to try to implement a myriad of strategies and tactics.  However, as the mentor I mentioned has proven, focus wins the day.  Focus on a few vital strategies and execute them at the highest level.  Concentrating on the vital fews will not only help to filter out the noise, but also to accelerate and elevate successes.

Here are a few simple considerations to examine when evaluating whether or not to implement a new strategy:

  • What problem are you trying to solve?  Albert Einstein was reported to have said, “If I had an hour to solve a problem, I’d spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and 5 minutes thinking about solutions.”   Ensure a new strategy or change to strategy will actually solve a problem or make a difference.  Focus first on making sure there is a problem and understanding it as completely as possible.
  • Protect your core.  Figure out what is working, what you’re doing well, and keep at it.  If you opt to introduce something new, be mindful that you protect what has gotten you this far.  As new strategies gain traction, the core will likely shift.  Continue to protect it.
  • Give it time.  If you really believe in a strategy, don’t give it up prematurely only to shift attention to something else.  Over time this will only yield many half-executed strategies which combine to form more noise and sap resources.
  • Ensure you have the resources to execute at the highest level.  This refers not just to monetary resources, but also to human capital.  Do your sales, marketing, and customer service teams have the bandwidth to execute the new strategy while at the same time continuing to execute core strategy and tactics?
  • Give something up.  Not the core, of course.  To introduce a new strategy means something will have to give…hence the fews in vital fews.  Unless you are wasting resources, a focus on the vital fews inherently requires you will have to make some sacrifices.
  • Measure.  Sure, it sounds simple and management teams love to talk about metrics.  Make sure your new strategy can be measured against clear, concrete objectives.  How and how often will you measure the results of the new strategy?
  • Augment.  The metrics will guide you.  As you gain traction with the new strategy, make subtle shifts to get more out of it.
  • Repeat.  New challenges will arise as your selected, vital few strategies overcome old ones.  Focus on understanding these new problems, examine what is your current core strategy to protect, and allot the proper amount of time and resources for any new strategies to address the new obstacles. 

Implementing a vital fews vision is cyclical.  It begins with intense focus, directed primarily inward.  Know your problems.  Know what is working.  Be judicious with making changes and implementing new strategies.  Commit the proper time and resources with the understanding that short-term sacrifice will likely be needed to reach the mid- to long-term goals.  Measure and change as necessary based on the results.  Keep your focus narrow and intense as the landscape of challenges changes in reaction to your successes.

A vital fews philosophy can be summed up quite succinctly.  Eliminate the noise.  Focus.  Grow.

Posted in Marketing | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments