Posts Tagged ‘Zebra Selling’
Santa has a Zebra! Make your list, and check it twice…
Posted by Chad Koser in Selling to Zebras Friday, 1 January 2010 11:30 No Comments
Yes folks, Santa once again identified his Zebra by making a list comprised of those who were naughty and nice this past Christmas. This once again insured that he would strictly dedicate his valuable and scarce resources only toward those that were a good fit for his services, making it possible to once again make Christmas a huge success in just a single night!
In keeping with that theme, this is a friendly holiday reminder from Selling to Zebras to adopt Santa’s strategy for your sales business in the new year… Go through your list of prospects for pursuit in 2010 with a fine-tooth, zebra-striped comb, and make sure it’s only populated with Zebras.
Don’t have a Zebra yet you say?! Well, in my opinion creating one and putting it to good use in your sales business would make the perfect New Year’s Resolution!
On behalf of all of us at Selling to Zebras, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year!
Several relevant captions come to mind for this cartoon…
Posted by Chad Koser in Selling to Zebras Thursday, 25 June 2009 16:52 No Comments
Option #1: Given the current state of the economy, Zebras are getting even tougher to identify… BUT, they are still out there for the picking, stripes or not.
Option #2: Selling using the Zebra methodolgy enables a refreshingly “bare-naked” level of honesty between sales person and prospect.
Option #3: Don’t let these mohawk-clad horses fool you… Real Zebras always have stripes, so don’t waste your time or theirs by trying to convince yourself otherwise.
No matter which option you chose, they’re all equally relevant. Feel free to comment with any clever captions you may come up with!
Finally, I want to mention that this week Zebra Jeff and I had the privilige of once again being guests on Jim Blasingame’s Small Business Advocate Radio program. This was our third appearance on Jim’s show, and we had a fantastic time talking sales shop within him once again. Check out the audio from that interview here: The impact of social media on selling in the future? You can also check out our past appearances on Jim’s show by clicking here: Selling to Zebras on The Small Business Advocate.
The new “Chrysis”… or is there a black and white striped lining amidst the ominous auto industry skies?
Posted by Chad Koser in Selling to Zebras Friday, 15 May 2009 16:39 No Comments
by Chad Koser (aka Zebra Chad)
Yesterday the business world was once again rocked by dramatic news from the automotive industry that Chrysler will be closing 789 dealerships (click to learn more about this story). As you will read, GM is the next to make such a move, with as many as 2,000 dealerships in jeopardy.
Listening to talk radio on this issue yesterday, I was not terribly surprised to hear a resoundingly negative response from callers. One caller, however, took the opposite side of the discussion, and I have long agreed with what that caller said. That particular caller’s message can be summed up in basic terms: 1) The right product, 2) at the right price, 3) at the right time.
A fairly simple message of sales and business management 101, this is a path I believe Chrysler and GM have been long overdue in taking. Zebra Jeff and I have dicussed this very topic on dozens of radio interviews across the nation at the time when the big news regarding the automotive bailout first hit the wire.
My view on the situation:
1) Chrysler and GM have long been operating with too high a cost structure as a result of having too many dealerships. Compare to foreign rival Toyota for example, whom is covering the same nationwide area with less than 30% as many dealerships, making it difficult, if not impossible for the American auto manufacturers to compete.
2) These dealerships have long been cannibalizing each others profit margins and market share as a result of being located too close to each other in geographic proximity.
3) Bailout dollars aren’t going to last forever, and without a focused strategic plan to cut costs while increasing revenue and profit margins, critical failure would be eminent.
In conclusion, the recent closure of dealerships is not yet another indicator of trouble ahead, but rather a justified, numbers-driven, mission-critical step towards heading in a positive direction… Sometimes we need to look at things differently to find the zebra colored stripes amidst the clouds. For the sake of one of the biggest industries driving the health of our economy, I suggest we make a concious choice to see it.
-ZC
Sales pipeline suffering from Swine Flu?
Posted by Chad Koser in Selling to Zebras Tuesday, 5 May 2009 09:57 No Comments
by Chad Koser (aka Zebra Chad)
Well, the only cure is to inject a healthy dose of Zebra Vaccine! This weeks entry was inspired by a recent post at a great new blog I’ve been following called Salesopedia… “Recession Proof Your Sales — 10 Timely Tips for Unlocking a Great Sales Year,” written by Nancy Bleeke, offers some great advice and strategy for selling in a tough economy. Much of Nancy’s advice in her article is well-aligned with much of what we’ve discussed here in the past about Zebra strategy. Combine the aspects of it all that make sense for you into your current sales methodology, and you’ve got a powerful serum for success, aka Zebra Vaccine, to inject into your sales pipeline to immunize it against the current recession. Be well, sell well!
-ZC
His name is “Zonkey” — a little thought provoking humor…
Posted by Chad Koser in Selling to Zebras Monday, 27 April 2009 13:58 2 Comments
by Chad Koser (aka Zebra Chad)
Our little friend in the foreground named “Zonkey,” is the result of what happens when sales people make the decision to pursue prospects that are not Zebras… You may by chance win the deal, but the outcome of that deal will more than likely prove undesirable for both you and your customer. Your solution was not matched to your customer’s need(s), making it impossible for you to Force Success, and therefore:
1. You will not be able to provide the customer with what is needed to fulfill the promised project goals. In the end, the only thing that matters is real results achieved by your customers.
2. Lack of ability to achieve effective and timely results will waste both yours and the customers valuable, limited resources (time, money, people)
3. Your reputation for consistently meeting customer expectations will be negatively impacted. Remember: satisfied customers may tell one or two others or may volunteer to serve as reference accounts for you, but dissatisfied customers tend to be far more vocal on a very voluntary basis.
The moral of this light-hearted blog is that in the end, the only thing that matters is real results achieved by your customers, and the only guarantee of real results is the pursuit of Zebras. Don’t be a Zonkey… Get the picture?
-ZC
