The Rapid Response Institute

Tag: subject matter expert

  • Leadership Selling

    Leadership Selling

    “The price of greatness is responsibility.” – Winston Churchill

    I recently watched a documentary about Three Mile Island.  I did not fact check it or try to assess bias but if much of what went wrong were correctly portrayed, leadership was missing in action.  The father of the US Nuclear Navy, Admiral Hyman G. Rickover and his demand for excellence was referred to on several occasions.  He was rightfully positioned as THE sector leader during that era when nuclear power generation was an emerging technology.

    In the context of leadership, the following is attributed to him, “Responsibility is a unique concept… You may share it with others, but your portion is not diminished. You may delegate it, but it is still with you… If responsibility is rightfully yours, no evasion, or ignorance or passing the blame can shift the burden to someone else. Unless you can point your finger at the man who is responsible when something goes wrong, then you have never had anyone really responsible.”  This is a very telling statement that is applicable to the many human foibles that have resulted in cataphoric failures, even warfare and almost all high visibility major industrial incidents.

     A clear explanation of the difference between Management and Leadership.

    What Does All This Have to Do with Selling?

    Typically, organizations refer to the process of revenue generation as Sales.  However, a more accurate description this process is Selling.  The action verb, selling can result in a sale or series of sales.  Yet, for each competitive engagement most of these costly attempts at revenue generation will result in no sales–zero revenue.   Fail at enough opportunities and the firm’s Cost of Sales can skyrocket.

    Moreover, increasingly B2B solutions are a combination of products (seller product line and possibly third parties) as well as services (can include Cloud subscriptions).  By definition, Complex Sales is getting more complex and interrelated with other new/existing systems.

    Failure is Not an Option!

    “SUBSAFE was born in 1963, just two months after mechanical failures resulted in the loss of USS Thresher (SSN-593).  The program was started with a simple goal in mind: ‘. . . provide the maximum reasonable assurance that the ship will not have flooding but if flooding does occur, assures that the ship will get safely to the surface.’”  The program is deemed as a major life saving success, partially by enabling real responsibility to all including contractors.

    Safety and Environmental Management Systems (SEMS) are a similar construct.  Most organizations in Critical Infrastructure sectors incorporate SEMS into their Operations Management Systems (OMS).  For our purposes here, we will repurpose and slightly change the nine tenants of the US Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement’s BSEE, SEMS.

    We posit that the following Tenants comprising our Selling Management System (SMS):

    1. Commitment to Values and Actions. Leaders demonstrate a commitment to societal and organizational values in their decisions and behaviors.
    2. Issue Identification and Risk Management. Issues potentially impacting the deal and its successful delivery are promptly identified, fully evaluated, and promptly addressed or corrected commensurate with their significance.
    3. Personal Accountability. All individuals take personal responsibility for process and personal behavior, as well as the stewardship of those entrusted to them.
    4. Work Processes. The process of planning and controlling work activities so that the selling action items are in accordance with organizational mission and policies as well as boding well for success.
    5. Continuous Improvement. Opportunities to learn and codify selling and delivery knowledge, ensuing future success and organizational learning.
    6. Environment for Raising Concerns. A work environment is maintained where personnel feel free to raise issues and concerns without fear of retaliation, intimidation, harassment, or discrimination.
    7. Effective External and Internal Communication. Communications maintain a focus of the selling efforts and processes.
    8. Respectful Work Environment. Trust and respect permeate the organization with a focus on teamwork and collaboration.
    9. Inquiring Attitude. Individuals avoid complacency and continuously consider and review existing conditions and activities in order to identify discrepancies that might result in error or inappropriate action.

    It is not surprising that action items focused on revenue generation should align with business imperatives towards effective and efficient operations.  This is especially true when operations personnel are assigned to the pursuit team as they will play a major role assuring successful delivery, i.e. most capital (CAPEX) goods and services.

    Tenant 6, Environment for Raising Concerns is perhaps one of the most important when enabling junior leadership.  For example, if a material issue is identified by a new college graduate in her or his field and unnoticed by more senior individuals schooled in early technologies, failure to be “heard” may have deal failure ramifications, i.e., engineering or software errors.

    Leadership is not part of a title, except by self-serving politicians who routine call themselves leaders.  Leaders are not born either, they are individuals (all ages and genders) who when needed, rise to occasions great and small.  The Rickover Mind Model enables leaders to emerge and that includes leadership during selling processes.

    Complex Deal Pursuit Team

    A deal Pursuit Team is a formal group assigned to drive revenue opportunities for a single deal/long-term strategic relationship or even partnership.  It can be an ad hoc assemblage or more effectively the assembly of experts with this type of experience.  Ideally, for a significant opportunity this team has a sole focus during its lifecycle, but that is not always the case or even practical in some firms or deals.

    Team composition can include, Sales Representative(s), Sales Management, Sales Support Team (as required) Executive Sponsor (if appropriate), Subject Matter Expert(s), Project Management, Third Parties (subcontractors and/or technology/professorial services providers), and others as needed.  Not all participants will be required full time.

    Typically, there are three phases to this process:

    • Relationship and Opportunity Development–The relationship building processes between seller and buyer as well as identification of value that can be added from seller products/services/solutions.
    • Formal Proposal Submission–Development and draft (with revisions) of a documented Scope of Work/Products, Deliverables and Pricing.
    • Proposal Assessment and Acceptance–Buyer review, changes and agreement to move forward–The Deal!

    Leadership is required throughout this process, and it may come from very unlikely sources.  Often top-level technologists and engineers are not the most outgoing folks.  However, their thoughts can be game changing.  It is important that those on the quiet side be actively ‘Included,’ and their ideas sought out and given serious discussion.

    Role of AI Agents

    “AI sales agents are autonomous applications that analyze and learn from your sales and customer data to perform tasks with little or no human input. These agents can perform a wealth of functions, from top-of-funnel tasks like nurturing leads with email outreach, answering questions, booking meetings with sellers, and quote creation to tasks more deeply integrated inside sales teams, like active buyer roleplays and coaching. What makes them different from simple workflow automation is that agents are capable of learning, using data analysis to work more efficiently, taking action on their own.”

    The Pursuit Team is responsible for winning the deal and AI is another tool, not unlike product demonstrations and marketing efforts.  AI inputs should be calibrated and interpreted just like other data sources and analyses.

    Final Thoughts

    Remember that people buy from people and individuals on both the selling and buying teams have personal agendas, such as getting promoted.  Sellers who identify many/most of these concerns stand a better change of closing the deal.

    Closing deals generates jobs.  Both by the vendor and its ecosystem as well as the client who will use the product/service/solution to increase the stakeholder value ecosystem.  Stakeholders are broadly defined including local communities and customer’s customers.

    It is safe to say that the complex selling process is dramatically changing.  Time to get on board!

    Nothing happens until somebody sells something!  How is your company assuring the selling process is routinely successful?

    Pre order our new book

    Navigating the Data Minefields:

    Management’s Guide to Better Decision-Making

    We are living in an era of data and software exponential growth.  A substantive flood hitting us every day.  Geek heaven!  But what if information technology is not your cup of tea and you may even have your kids help with your smart devices?  This may not be a problem at home; however, what if your job depends on Big Data and Artificial Intelligence (AI)?

    Available April 2025

    Ordering Information

    We are also pleased to advise our loyal readers that CRC Press has accepted our proposal for this forthcoming book, Nonlinear Big Data and AI-Enabled Problem-Solving: Transforming From A Spreadsheet Society.  Stay tuned for more details.

    For More Information

    Please note, RRI does not endorse or advocate the links to any third-party materials herein.  They are provided for education and entertainment only.

    See our Economic Value Proposition Matrix® (EVPM) for additional information and a free version to build your own EVPM.

    The author’s credentials in this field are available on his LinkedIn page.  Moreover, Dr. Shemwell is the coauthor of the 2023 book, “Smart Manufacturing: Integrating Transformational Technologies for Competitiveness and Sustainability.”  His focus is on Operational Technologies.

    We are also pleased to announce our forthcoming book to be released by CRC Press in April 2025, Navigating the Data Minefields: Management’s Guide to Better Decision-Making.  This is a book for the non-IT executive who is faced with making major technology decisions as firms acquire advanced technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI).

    “People fail to get along because they fear each other; they fear each other because they don’t know each other; they don’t know each other because they have not communicated with each other.” (Martin Luther King speech at Cornell College, 1962).  For more information on Cross Cultural Engagement, check out our Cross-Cultural Serious Game.  You can contact this author as well.

    For more details regarding climate change models, check out Bjorn Lomborg and his book, False Alarm: How Climate Change Panic Costs Us Trillions, Hurts the Poor, and Fails to Fix the Planet.

    Regarding the economics of Climate Change, check out our blog, Crippling Green.

    For those start-up firms addressing energy (including renewables) challenges, the author can put you in touch with Global Energy Mentors which provide no-cost mentoring services from energy experts.  If interested, check it out and give me a shout.

  • Innovation: The Key to the Global Future

    Innovation: The Key to the Global Future

    Henry Ford, the Founder of Ford Motor Company is famously attributed to this statement.  “If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.”  In other words, most of us think linearly.

    One wonders if this line of reasoning is the best way during the current situation.  Perhaps, non-linear mindsets are more appropriate.

    Challenges

    Currently, many define an existential threat as Climate Change.  Additionally, the global economy, the War in Ukraine, bad actors and other ills make the daily news.  We are also told the time is of the essence.  However, it appears the window will close before the appropriate linear responses can come online.

    As the pandemic unfolded in early 2020, we penned a piece on the role innovation would play addressing the global scourge. We put forth some points we believed salient at the time such as:

    • The rise of remote work
    • The ability to scale quickly, i.e., vaccines, ventilators, et. al.
    • Changes in Clinical Trial protocols

    From the same blog, this pundit has long advocated that, “the use of knowledge enabled by technology can reduce project cycle time dramatically.  It can also significantly reduce project cost as well.”

    As we look back on that period, the collective global ‘we’ accomplished a lot.  A plethora of useful materials were developed and published by all manner Subject Matter Experts (SME) as well as those with ‘life knowledge.’  We chose to capture and repost materials (Covid-19 Business Continuity Resources) that could of use to those business executives struggling with work force issues.  These materials remain available.

    Regrettable, the term SCIENCE was terribly misused, including by medical professionals and professional scientists, all of whom should have known better.  This discussion is further developed in our blog, They Blinded Me with Science.   For interested readers, the piece develops the concepts of science and pseudo-science as well as a brief methodology all can use to help them assess what they are being told about major issues.

    Actual Science has moved humanity out of the caves and into our modern world.  Likely, it can help us address current and future global challenges.  The proven innovative use of the Scientific Method is one path forward.

    SpaceX – NASA

    Elon Musk is in the news for a number of reasons.  He is perhaps one of the best know billionaires.  In the opinion of this pundit, the partnership between his company SpaceX and NASA appears to be one of the most productive Public-Private Partnerships (PPP).  Perhaps this good or best practice could be emulated by others seeking new ways to innovate.

    Realistic Energy Transition

    Energy Transition is all the rage with all manner or organization jumping on board.  Somewhat reminds me of the late 1990s dot.com era.  According to Wikipedia, after the ensuring bust, “the NASDAQ-100 had dropped to 1,114, down 78% from its peak.”  Makes one wonder that this might not be the first rodeo for the latest ‘change the world shinny object.’

    Previously, we noted that the replacement of a major highway ramp in Houston, TX USA is slated to take two years.  Additionally, according to McKinsey, “The goal is to install 500,000 public chargers—publicly accessible charging stations compatible with all vehicles and technologies—nationwide by 2030.”  Message: infrastructure development takes a certain amount of time.

    Also from McKinsey, “Capital spending on physical assets for energy and land-use systems in the net-zero transition between 2021 and 2050 would amount to about $275 trillion, or $9.2 trillion per year on average, an annual increase of as much as $3.5 trillion from today.  To put this increase in comparative terms, the $3.5 trillion is approximately equivalent, in 2020, to half of global corporate profits, one-quarter of total tax revenue, and 7 percent of household spending.”

    As of this writing the global stock markets appear to be in freefall.  Some believe, including this author that a Recession is imminent.  This begs the obvious.  How will this linear effort be paid for and what will be the return on this huge investment?

    There must be a better way.

    Innovate, Innovate, Innovate

    In his recent book, False Alarm: How Climate Change Panic Costs Us Trillions, Hurts the Poor, and Fails to Fix the Planet noted climate change advocate, Bjorn Lomborg expresses concern regarding linear type scenarios and investments being made reduces climate change to Net Zero.

    He argues that regardless of efforts made such as described herein, we will not defeat global warming.  The temperature will rise anyway.

    If this is the case, then the ROI from a $275 trillion dollar commitment may in fact be negative.  This might spell economic disaster at a sustained level.

    Lomborg makes the case that innovation is key.  His perspective seems to be more on university led research supported by governments.  There is a role for government to fun basic research and many have for decades.

    Entrepreneurs have been advancing humankind for hundreds of years.  With proper market signals, we can expect a new generation to rise to the occasion addressing the energy transition and ultimately climate change.

    The author is aware of a number of ‘Green’ efforts underway to encourage the development of new commercial technologies.  While not advocating for investment in an Incubator or Accelerator, it seems reasonable that start-up organizations addressing these challenges be encouraged.

    What Role Does Innovation Play in Your Firm’s Approach to Climate Change?.

    For More Information

    Please note, RRI does not endorse or advocate the links to any third-party materials herein.  They are provided for education and entertainment only.

    The author’s credentials in this field are available on his LinkedIn page.

    Disclaimer, the author has no personal or business relationship with Bjorn Lomborg or his publications other than reading and commenting on his latest book, False Alarm: How Climate Change Panic Costs Us Trillions, Hurts the Poor, and Fails to Fix the Planet.

    For those start-up firms addressing energy challenges, the author is a member of Global Energy Mentors which provide no-cost mentoring services from energy experts.  If interested, check it out and give us a shout.

    For more information on Cross Cultural Engagement, check out our Cross Cultural Serious Game.  You can contact this author as well.