The Secret to Successful Goal Setting – An Overview

January 31, 2010 by eric · Leave a Comment
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It is the time of year when universities inch closer and closer to the time honored tradition of goal setting and employee evaluations. Most colleges, universities and educational institutions have embraced the practice of goal setting, going to great lengths to encourage “collaboration” between manager and team member during this (as Villanova University Human Resources describes it) “rare opportunity” for one-on-one time. Interestingly, with all the effort that has been placed into developing the goal setting process in the university setting, most often, the mark is missed, by both the employee and the manager, due to a lack of understanding as to what goals really are. In a profit driven environment poor goal setting strategies are not only useless, in many cases they can be detrimental to the current operation.

Over the next several weeks, we will explore The Secrets of Successful Goal Setting as it pertains to a university environment, especially in the area of Conference/Event Services. Conference Services departments/units wrestle with unique issues and demands that are atypical to the university culture. The outcomes oriented goal setting process embraced by universities, fail to adequately account for external forces that have a tremendous impact on Conference Services, rendering the entire exercise a monumental waste of time, and a potentially a crushing blow to the Conference Services team.

ARE GOALS IMPORTANT?
The obvious answer is “yes”, but let’s think this through.

Several years ago I met with my supervisor for my annual “goal setting extravaganza”. The entire process included me sitting in my office for a week, feverishly writing out an impressive set of “goals” in an effort to get the process over with, so I could return to the important business. Upon meeting with my supervisor, she would tell me how important that it was to have written goals, and that achieving those goals wasn’t critical, but that I should try. She would review and sign-off, then file them away in her file until the following year. Were these goals important, to anyone? It does not matter if the goals were good, bad or otherwise. They were filed away, thereby deemed unimportant.

Mark McCormack, author of “What They Don’t Teach You in the Harvard Business School”, tell of a study conducted in 1979 on goal setting. Graduating students were asked “Have you set clear, written goals for your future and made plans to accomplish them?”

  • 3% of graduates had written goals and plans
  • 13% had goals but not written
  • 84% had no specific goals at all

Ten years later the class of 1979 was surveyed again, and the results, while predictable, were amazing.

  • 13% of the class who had goals were earning, on average, double the 84% who had no goals
  • 3% of the class who had clear written goals were earning, on average, 10 times as much as the combined incomes of the 97%

Are goals important?

GOALS ARE NOT
It is not a stretch to argue that the majority of University HR Departments have missed the boat when it comes to implementing, or possibly defining, a successful goal setting strategy. Even though multi-page documents are published and countless training sessions are conducted, the real purpose behind the goal setting process is lost. Rather than being a thoughtful and exciting process, goal setting has devolved into the annual exercise of professional “cramming” before the final. Goal setting has come to this point because “goals” as defined in the university setting, are not goals at all, but outcomes, and there is a distinction.

On the York University HR department FAQ, the following question is addressed:  “If it is apparent that the attainment of a goal is not feasible due to circumstances beyond my control, how should this be addressed?”

Indiana University HR suggests “increase revenues by 20% by the end of the calendar year” as an example of a measurable goal.

Multiple universities employ the ubiquitous SMART approach to goal setting

  • Specific
  • Measurable
  • Agreed upon
  • Realistic
  • Timed

In a nutshell, all of this documentation, and creativity boils down into outcomes, not goals.  While we can affect outcomes, ultimately outcomes are the desired results of well-planned and executed goals.  Think back to April of 2008 when you wrote “increase department revenue by 20%” as a goal.  Did you achieve that goal?  In all likelihood you did not, thanks to an economy in decline.  Fortunately York University gives its employees a pass based on “external forces”.  There are always external forces beyond our control, which will affect outcomes.

Outcomes and results should not be mistaken for goals in the Successful Goal Setting process.

Next week: The Secret to Successful Goal Setting – Experiential Goal Setting

Eric Tompkins, Consultant

Tompkins Consulting Group

Advertising I Won’t Pay For – 4 Key Questions You Need to Know

January 21, 2010 by eric · Leave a Comment
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All of us are under a constant barrage of emails, tweets and junk mail, in attempt to sell us advertising for the customer or market that we are missing. From the YellowPages, to Local, to Google and Yahoo, everyone seems to have the perfect solution for reaching my customer. Interestingly, all of these methods seems to come with a hefty price tag as well. I’m sure that there is something to be said for some of these avenues of outreach, but when marketing dollars are tight, where should a business or professional spend the money, in order to grow the business. Even more importantly though, where should that same business owner NOT spend money and how does one make the decision?

There is advertising that I will never pay for. Why? Because I require a proven track record of results, BEFORE I buy. In other words, if you won’t prove to me that your system will generate business for me, I’m not interested.

Recently I was contacted by YellowPages.com, a subsidiary of ATT, with a sales pitch to upgrade my free listing to “premium ad space” for the Tompkins Consulting Group profile. Armed with impressive numbers, 4 million daily visitors, large average dollar spends, and terrific visitor demographics, I was told I could get top placed billing for searches based on my keywords. It would have been easy to sign-up and hand out my credit card, but I asked 4 simple questions that stopped ATT cold in their tracks,

1. How many users have searched YellowPages.com based on my selected keywords?
2. What is my current ranking based on my keyword searches?
3. Will you give me a 90-day free trial for your service to prove the effectiveness of your program?
4. Do you guarantee results?

I’m sure you can guess what the answers to these questions.

If a business wants to develop a long-term relationship with you and your organization, then it is perfectly logical that they will be willing to invest mutually into that relationship. Advertising for the sake of advertising is foolish at best, and detrimental to the bottom line at worst. An advertising program must provide the business with a solid, measurable Return on Investment (ROI), that not only generates interest, but positively impacts the bottom line. All advertising programs must pay for themselves, or they are not worth the investment. Within 90 days, a program worth its money, will generate results, and more importantly should generate the results that are touted.

Finally, a cautious approach to spending money on advertising, especially with unknown and untested entities is prudent. With a plethora of free advertising mediums, that allow you to easily and directly target and interact with your audience, advertising spend should be low on the list of priorities. Just so we are clear, advertising SPEND should be low on the list of priorities. Once your organization has taken advantage and successfully leveraged all of the other free opportunities, then you should begin to investigate paid advertising.

One last note of caution. If advertisers are coming to you, there may be a reason, and it may not be what you think. Typically, when organizations like yours start determining their ROI, unsuccessful advertising programs are the first thing to be cut.

Keys to Success in 20-10%

January 13, 2010 by eric · 1 Comment
Filed under: Business 

2010 is shaping up to be almost as challenging of a year as 2009 proved to be for many businesses, industries and especially for non-profit organizations.  Last year, many of us gritted our teeth and looked forward to recovery in 2010.  We tightened the belt, determined to survive the year until 2010.  2010 is here, and it is looking pretty scary as well.  However for the savvy business owner, 2010 will not be a year defined by simply surviving, but thriving, while the competition falls by the wayside.

Last year Tompkins Consulting Group published a well-received article entitled “3 Keys to Success in 2009” where we focused on the three key elements for surviving the year.

  • Eliminate bad and duplicative process
  • Train and retrain middle management and front-line staff
  • Identify and actively engage new and untapped markets

Many of our customers implemented these strategies and not only survived in 2009, but increased their market share over the previous years.  Tompkins Consulting Group more than doubled its customer base and revenue stream in 2009, by simply following our own advice.

In 2010, the message has changed from “surviving” to “thriving” with what we call “Keys to Success in 20-10%

Dan Miller, author of  “48 Days to the Work You Love” states that success comes to those who live by the rule of   10%  By following the rule of 10% millionaires are made, empires are launched and industries are changed forever.

In the early 60’s the Monaghan brothers  purchased a small pizza place in Michigan named Dominick’s Pizza.  This pizza place was of no special consequence and by all accounts no different than their competitors, with one small exception.  Dominick’s Pizza would bring the pizza to you.  The Dominick’s Pizza empire has grown to the second larges pizza franchise in the US, and you now know it as Domino’s Pizza.  In the early 90’s, Domino’s revolutionized the industry again with a “30 minutes or its free” guarantee.

By focusing on small, but significant tweaks a dramatically reduce spending, increase revenues, improve customer service, and grow the customer base.  If we as business owners take a moment of pause…….and reflection……we can identify areas within our businesses for a 20-10% tweak.  Here are some examples that might work for your business:

  1. Reduce office supply usage by 10%
  2. Make 10% more cold/warm calls
  3. Cut business related travel expenses by 10%
  4. Spend 10% more one-on-one/training and development time with team members
  5. Read 10% more books on business, organization, and management strategies.
  6. Add 10% more content to the website
  7. Attend 10% more networking functions and network with 10% more people
  8. Spend 10% more time with your family and 10% less time at work
  9. Increase daily revenues by 10%
  10. Reduce utility consumption (gas, water, electric) by 10%

As you are constructing your 2010 business plan, a key element that you should include is your “20-10% Goals and Strategy.”  State the goal, strategy for achieving the 20-10% Goal, and the measures that will be used to track 20-10% Goal success.  If you are really bold and success driven, challenge your staff and your team to develop their “20-10% Personal Goals and Strategies” as they relate to the business.  By bringing your team on board with your 20-10% plan, and giving them an understanding of the goals for this year, you will find that success becomes the driving force behind your business, and your team is on the bus with you.

Eric Tompkins, Owner/Consultant

Tompkins Consulting Group

Your Customer Service: It’s Not as Good as You Think

July 29, 2009 by eric · Leave a Comment
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Ask any business owner if he/she provides excellent customer service and they will undoubtedly answer in the affirmative. Are your customers satisfied? Again a business owner will answer yes. But the follow-up question often challenges those very same business owners: How do you know? There may be the occasional Customer Satisfaction Survey that indicates “satisfied” or “very satisfied”, but other than that, owners typically do not truly know whether or not they have established customer loyalty.

Let’s begin with some honest numbers. According to Bain & Company research, 80% of customers who leave you for your competition, told you they were “satisfied” or “very satisfied.” In that same study, out of 362 companies, 80% of companies claimed to be giving “excellent” customer service, but according to the customers, only 8% of those companies actually did. According to research by Maritz, 43% of customers who leave, do so because of poor service. To make matters worse, 73% of customers left because of employee/worker attitudes and 83% of customers told someone else about their negative experience.

This research tells us that customer evaluation tools are ineffective, at least in the traditional and typical way that they are used to collect information about customers, and their satisfaction. If these methods do not provide accurate data on the satisfaction of our customers, then how can one be sure he is delivering the highest quality of customer service? Again, I ask the question, “How do you know?”

Businesses succeed and fail on their ability to deliver consistent, high quality customer service. The quality and ability to deliver great customer service cannot be defined or determined by the business owner or the management, as research tells us there is an inability to objectively assess one’s own quality of service and customer satisfaction. When research methods indicate a “job well done” or a majority of satisfied customers, 80% will accept the results and pat themselves on the back. However, the savvy business owner, the one truly dedicated to keeping his customers, beating the competition down, and delivering the highest quality of customer service in his/her market, will refuse to accept any accolades and will continue digging for more information, and pushing to provide better service.

As a business owner one needs to obtain objective information regarding the delivery of customer service by the management team, front-line staff, and as the owner. Investing time and money into gaining objective information, is money well spent, especially considering the current cost of reaching out to and developing new customers. The goal of great customer service is not simply to have customers leave your business “satisfied.” Instead the benchmark should be one of creating “fans” who are will go out and rave about your business.

We all have those businesses we are fans of. I am a huge fan of Hogg’s Gourmet Grill in Moreno Valley. The service is unparalleled, the food is fantastic, and the owners are dedicated to each customer walking out of their business a fan. I have recommended Hogg’s in countless conversations, and have even found myself not simply asking friends if they have been there, but following up with them to make sure they have actually gone. I am not just a customer of Hogg’s, I am a fan. I am personally invested in the success of this restaurant. This is the difference between a satisfied customer, and a fan.

There are four essentials to building your business’ fan base. First, get an objective evaluation of your customer service. Second, develop a plan to build your fan base using the information you gathered. Third, retrain your managers and front-line staff members. Share with them the vision of building a fan base and how it is vital to the long-term success of your business. Finally, objectively evaluate your progress and retool as needed.

According to a 2006 University of Iowa study on customer service trends, those businesses and business owners that invest in providing a superior level of customer service are rewarded through “…superior shareholder value, higher profit margins and more stable cash flow and are better positioned to weather bad times.”


You Need A Go-to-Guru to Get Things Done

July 22, 2009 by eric · Leave a Comment
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Every business needs a person who gets things done. Not just simply finishes assignments or tasks in a timely fashion, but goes heads down, nose to the grindstone, all out work to “git ‘er dun.” In other words, the “go-to guru.”

Who or what is a go-to-guru (G2G)?

A G2G can be someone within your organization, or from outside the walls of the organization, you trust to get things done quickly, efficiently and even some times quietly. He or she can effect change and make things happen. They are people with connections, knowledge and, most importantly, access. Let me give you an example. Last year I was contacted by a company out of San Diego that needed to impress some clients who were going to be in town over the weekend. The company wanted to take their customers to the Chargers-Chiefs game and show them a great time. What they lacked was access. They called me and asked if I could “git ‘er dun.” With two quick calls and about 30 minutes of my time, they had a luxury box for 20, with field passes, catered lunch and unlimited drinks. “Git ‘er dun.”

Another client, who I have worked with extensively, sent an e-mail with an official letter that needed to be edited quickly and discretely. Within one business day, I returned the document, written and proofed, per her requirements.

The benefits of having a G2G are endless, but there are some real tangible benefits that can be derived from having a G2G. First and foremost, the job gets done quickly and accurately, the first time. The reason G2Gs are good at what they do is that they make sure they get it right every time. A G2G is only as good as his or her last deliverable. If your G2G doesn’t deliver on even one project, don’t use him or her again. While employees are a great resource, if they are sailing into uncharted waters, the timeline is much longer and the opportunity for error is much greater. Additionally, if someone from your team is going to perform a function that is outside of his or her job description, a task from the existing workload may be sacrificed in order to fulfill the request.

Access to resources is the second key for an effective G2G. Typically a G2G knows someone or a company or has a connection or has the ability to leverage other relationships. A G2G knows people. G2Gs know businesses. They are well-networked.

It can take weeks and months to forge profitable relationships, but through a good G2G, you can gain access in a matter of days. Another benefit is that relationships with G2Gs are reciprocal. One week you may need the G2G to provide a service to you or your business, and the next week the G2G may bring business to you. In the example I gave about the “letter” the favor was returned with a well-suited federal contract proposal.

The good news is that there is a wealth of talented G2Gs in the Inland Empire, many of them you know but have never thought of in terms of G2G or “git ‘er dun.” They are the entrepreneurs who always seem to make things happen and have a constant flow of projects and always seem to be on the move. These are the people whom as a business owner, you need to engage as part of your team. They are the people who get things done, when things need to get done.

Social Networks for Social Organizations

July 13, 2009 by eric · Leave a Comment
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Social networking has been catapulted to the forefront of media attention in recent weeks.

We have witnessed Twitter and Facebook move from “hobby” to news outlet for world events. The power of social networks and their capacity to engage and inform is undeniable. Organizations that harness this power will have a greater ability to deliver their messages in a more effective way and enhance the community experience.

Social organizations like service clubs, community groups and religious organizations can greatly benefit from a well-orchestrated and managed social network. The benefits of developing a private social network are tremendous, for a relatively low cost and a high return on investment. Interactivity creates a sense of community, belonging and ownership by participants, allowing for the growth of organic relationships, a factor that is critical in maximizing engagement. Fundraising, advertising and communication are simplified and targeted with a reduced cost and greater impact.

The visioning of the social network is critical to the success of any private social network. What outcomes does the organization need to achieve in order for the social network to be deemed successful? In some cases that may include increased participation; in other cases revenue goals may be of greatest importance.

One of the challenges of the current popular social networks is limited capabilities. LinkedIn is great for developing networks and creating discussions, but it lacks the quick communication functions of Facebook and Twitter, both of which lack the “discussion” functions of LinkedIn. With white-label products such as The Social Collective, owners can customize the look and feel to match their organizational brandings and incorporate the best features of Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook, at a reasonable rate.

Additionally, private social networking packages have seized on the convenience factor by allowing users to import Twitter and Facebook contacts as well as post updates simultaneously to public social networks in the same way as TweetDeck.

Not every organization will be a good candidate for a private social network. Religious organizations provide a natural setting for a high-quality, interactive social network, with the network serving as a great tool for facilitating learning, discussion and engagement. The adoption of a social network in a church gives the opportunity to expand activity and discussion to more than a once- or twice-a-week meeting or experience. It creates an environment that fosters the organic development of relationships between members, pastors and community.

Performing-arts organizations such as the Redlands Community Music Association or the San Bernardino Symphony can augment advertising and fundraising efforts by developing a community of art lovers online. With a captive subscriber audience, these types of organizations will have the opportunity to easily and efficiently solicit feedback from subscribers, promote upcoming events, develop a tight-knit community of art lovers, and, maybe most importantly, provide additional opportunities for sponsorship funding.

Private social networks work. SXSW, a music and film festival based in Texas, adopted a private social network for the 2009 music festival. More than 60 percent of all attendees participated — actively, I might add — in the social network. With more than 80,000 posts to the network, participants in the festival demanded a greater role for social networking. In 2010, the social network will be far more robust, allowing individuals to manage schedules and face-to-face interactions via the social network.

Organizations should not enter into the social network universe lightly. Each organization needs to have a fully developed and vetted plan for creating and maintaining a Web-based community. A static community will wither and die, leaving users with a bad taste in their mouths. Those organizations that take a purposeful approach to developing a successful social network will realize the benefits. Members and participants will feel more connected to the organization and take a greater, more active role in supporting the organization.

Simple is Better

June 3, 2009 by eric · Leave a Comment
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Simple is better. You know it. So why is your office so complicated? When was the last time you spent more than 2 minutes searching for that all important file? Is it with the pending contracts, or with the customer files, or maybe its in that pile on the edge of the desk. What about the contract you just handed to your customer? Does it really need to be 15 pages long, include paragraphs about “indemnification” and require a Juris Doctrate to understand? And how long did you spend explaining it to your customer?

Simple is better! You know it! But simple is harder.

After spending years working with and consulting for government agencies, universities and non-profit organizations, I came to understand the reason why processes, contracts and filing systems become overcomplicated.

  1. Complicated contract place the burden of understanding on to the customer.
  2. Complicated systems and processes (including filing systems) take less thought and time to establish.
  3. The more complicated our processes are, the less likely we are to have to own them.

Let me give you and example. Several years ago I met an administrative assistant who attended a workshop, sponsored by her organization. The workshop was all about creating well-organized filing systems for the office. The key component to this system was the inclusion of a file “directory” to be housed in a red folder in the top drawer of the cabinet. This directory served as the key to finding where a file was located. When a file was added to, or permanently removed from the cabinet, the directory was updated. Additionally, any files removed from the cabinet for usage, were signed out by the user, and signed back in upon return.

Does this sound familiar? It should sound ridiculous! And how successful was this system? I checked the files two months after it had been implemented, and the directory was clearly outdated, sign in’s and out’s were not happening, and the stack of “to be filed” files had grown to an astronomic number. Why? The system was too complicated.

David Allen (Getting Things Done) writes that if a system is too complicated, or has too many steps, users of the system will avoid using it. If processing takes more than 2 minutes, the process is too long.

Another Example - Last month I was met with a Convention Center and had the opportunity to review their pricing strategies. I’ve been in the business for 15 years now and have a pretty good understanding of various price structures. In fact, I would say that I have a better knowledge than most of the average consumers. Fair enough? I spent 20 minutes trying to understand the “matrix” of options and packages the convention center was offering to their potential clients. To this day, I still don’t understand it. If I don’t understand what I am getting, what are the chances their customers do? And if the customers don’t understand, the customer isn’t buying. The Convention Center has placed the burden of understanding squarely on the shoulders of their customers.

  1. Handle things once and only once.
  2. Have one and only one filing system.
  3. Keep contracts short and free of legalese. If you have to explain it, revise it.
  4. Simple packages are good for customers. Matrices of choices are bad for customers.
  5. Revise…..Revise…..Revise
  6. Remember, you are not your audience.
  7. Simple is better……ALWAYS!

Eric Tompkins
Tompkins Event Consultants

Top 5 Must Reads for the Event Professional

May 27, 2009 by eric · Leave a Comment
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“The only difference between you now and you in 5 years’ time, will be the books your read and the people you meet.”

–Charlie “Tremendous” Jones

I read, constantly. I don’t read garbage either. If I am going to invest my money and even more importantly, my time, into a book, I am going to make sure that I can grow and improve from it. In other words, I want to get something from it. The challenge is weeding through the overwhelming pile of books that may, or may not be worthwhile. How do you know? And who has the time to figure it out.

After being an event professional for 15 years, and now working as a consultant to the industry, I have read my fair share of great books and piles of junk. There are those books that can be immediately applied to the event industry, and will produce instant results. These are the books that I have held on to, referenced throughout the years, and use to hone my skills. This is why they have made my Top 5 List for 2009.

1. Getting Things Done – The Art of Stress Free Productivity – David Allen
The power of GTD and Mr. Allen’s approach, is the simplicity of its implementation and execution. I love this book because it doesn’t require a complete overhaul of your life and work styles. Instead, it helps you to corrall all of your tasks, appointments and responsibilities into a very simple management process. Besides, who wouldn’t benefit from a little less stress. If there is just one book an event professional must have, it is this one. I recommend this book to everyone.

2. Moments of Truth – Jan Carlzon
MoT is a short book, that is a quick read, carrying a powerful message of vision, teamwork, and customers service, leading to ultimate success. Moments of Truth serves as the jumping off point for all of my clients, to help them understand the role of their customer, in the organization, and the importance of every customer interaction, from top to bottom. I recommend this book for any conference center, convention center, or multi-level operation.

3. The One Minute Manger – Ken Blanchard
If you aren’t already familiar with OMM, where have you been hiding? OMM is probably the single best book on effective management strategies on the market today. Department managers, supervisors and leadership at all levels can save time, money and labor, as well as minimize HR associated headaches through successful implementation of the OMM principles.

4. The Home Office from Hell Cure – Jeffrey A. Landers
This is an interesting book, because the title leads one to believe that the strategies are applicable only to the home office. Quite the contrary. The principles are applicable to any business. The real value of this book is that Landers gives the reader a 100 day plan for networking, engaging the media, and creating exposure for the business. The strategies are easy, executable and fun.

5. How to Win Friends & Influence People – Dale Carnegie
There is little that needs to be said about this timeless classic. Written and first published in 1936, Carnegie builds the foundation for developing long lasting, profitable relationships. Think of this book as the “How to” for networking. Once you master this classic, networking events will be a breeze.

There are very few corporate executives and highly successful business people who plop down in front of the television, night after night, and watch the mindless chatter. Instead of surfing the internet, except of course to read my blog, or watching the tube. grab a book and read. You, in five years, will be better for it.

Eric Tompkins
Tompkins Event Consultants

Defining Success

May 11, 2009 by eric · Leave a Comment
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Talent alone does not guarantee success. In fact, there are many instances when extreme cases of rare talent can go pretty much unnoticed. The most talented writers, singers or musicians may never be published, or the most talented applicant may not get the job. And often, the case is that someone of lesser talent may win out over those of us with a greater skill set. While it seems unfair, it just is the way business and life can be some times.

I have two friends who I believe to be two of the most talented singer/songwriters/musicians I have ever had the opportunity to listen to, and see perform. They have worked together, and seperately and they are obviously gifted in the area of music. I’ve watched them for years, and asked each of them seperately, “why haven’t you been picked up by a label yet?” They really are that good. Each has pursued his own path and yet their experiences seem to be the same.

You see, Scott and Frank are not just musicians. They are artisans of music. They don’t write tunes or music, they craft moving experiences. Unfortunately that isn’t what sells in the world of popular music today. You would never see either of them on American Idol because they don’t do pop. And yet with all of this talent, both continue to live a life of an undiscovered musician.

Often in business, especially in the event industry, it isn’t the most talented planner or organization that will win the contract. It can be, and is the “pop star” that will win out as they have packaged a great personna, or pressed the right palms, and know the right people to make it happen. What it comes down to is the focus of passion and where you choose to place your focus.

Scott and Frank are passionate about music and creating music that moves people. Others are interested in being a highly publicized, famous performer. Each have their merit and each can be defined as successful. The question you must ask your self is “where is my focus and what do I want to accomplish” allowing you to define your own success.

Eric Tompkins
Tompkins Event Consultants

Six Strategis for Landing the Contract

April 20, 2009 by eric · Leave a Comment
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So you are meeting with a new prospect about his/her upcoming event. Getting them in the door was half the battle, but now you need to land the contract. It is safe to assume that you represent one of many vendors your new prospect will be meeting with, including your primary competitors. How do you get the upperhand, or even the edge to beat out your competitors? While price may be a factor in the decision making process, it won’t be everything.

Below are “Six Strategies for Landing the Contract“. Follow these strategies and you are sure to beat out your competition.

  1. Know Their Business – The internet is a tremendous tool that can be used for more than looking up the latest NBA scores or American Idol results. It is a great resource for collecting valuable information about your prospective customer. Before meeting with your prospect, do some background research to learn about the organization they represent, previous events they have held, professional associations they are a member of, and social networking tools they may use. In your meeting, reference some of the information you have collected.
  2. Know Your Business – You need to know your stuff inside out and backwards. There is nothing, and I mean nothing, more off-putting to a prospect than sales staff that is not fully versed in the services they are selling. It is okay to not know answers to highly detailed, event specific, out of the norm, types of questions, but the basics you have to know cold. Capacities, capabilities, technologies, and services are those components of an event every customer will want information about, and every sales person must know. And if you are knew to the sales team, carry a binder, notes or anything that you can refer too. If you don’t know the information, you may lose the customer.
  3. Know the Alternatives - Scheduling conflicts are no reason to lose out on potential business. Be ready to provide your prospect will alternative dates, times, locations, services, etc. Instead of asking “do you have any alternatve dates” suggest a series of dates and times that you currently have available. Prospects are looking to you to be the solution provider and problem solver. Take on the challenge and responsibility.
  4. Look Good, Look Really Good – Get your house in order before your prospect shows up. From your office and desk, to the support staff, to the rooms, menus, sales materials and other services you are going to be showing, shoot for perfection. Put everyone on notice when you have a “big” prospect coming in. Introduce key personnel (managers, supervisors and leads) to your prospect.
  5. Be Fast, Be Accurate – Prospects want two things from you. Quick responses that are deadly accurate. You’ve had a great meeting with the propect and now you have some work to do in response to questions they have had. You’ve given them the “I’ll get that information over to you by COB tomorrow.” Now is your chance to shine as your new schedule is COB TODAY! Pull together all of you information, ensure its accuracy and that you have addressed every question and/or issue that has arisen.
  6. MEP: Mail, E-mail, Phone – Every prospect wants and deserves follow-up. Within 24 hours of your initial meeting send your prospect a simple “thank you card”. No promotional materials, or sales gimicks, just a thank you card. Within 5 business days, E-mail your prospect. Gather more information about the decision making process, competition and offer any additional incentives that might sway their decision. Finally, follow-up with a phone call and “check-in.”

Nail these Six Strategies and you will experience an increase in the number of sales conversions for your organization. Your customer base will grow and your competitors will scrambling to keep up with you.

Eric Tompkins, Owner
Tompkins Event Consultants

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