The Hindu Business Line : Momentum is the fuel that drives strategy into action

TARGETS are for common people. The high-performing ones exceed such numbers, says Rene Carayol in his foreword to Pitch Perfect, written by John Leach and John Moon, and published by Capstone (www.wileyeurope.com) . "The CEO is also the CSO, the Chief Sales Officer," adds Rene. "Everybody in the organisation has a part to play in the sales war." But before we invade the sales department, let's hear what the authors say about their book.

The success equation is expressed simply as three principles - functional mastery, customer connectivity and momentum. Why mastery? "Successful business developers enjoy relationships with buyers because they talk authoritatively and help them solve their problems," they say. "Functional mastery is the art of developing this capability so that the prospective buyer needs and wants to talk to you because you know how to improve their performance."

To achieve connectivity with customers, remember three things: "Find — win — keep." Remember that it's at least three times more expensive to win a new customer than it does to keep an existing one happy. "Building and maintaining relationships is the key to long-term, sustainable business development." At the foundation of relationships that work are promises that are delivered on time.

What's momentum? "The fire inside you," say the authors. Ask yourself if your personal brand delivers. It can, only if "natural talent, energy and drive flow freely." And as Aristotle said, "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit."

The functional master class has people who "continuously learn and read." Here are six more traits they possess: "They have a clear purpose and vision. They take time to reflect and think. The more they practise, they better they get. They continually search for new ways of doing things. They're passionate about their interest or course. They communicate their message with a high degree of clarity."

Customer connectivity has become crucial as the squeeze is getting tighter. Companies are reducing their suppliers by a third as compared to ten years ago, points out the book. "Ford has reduced the number of suppliers from 52,000 to an astonishing 5,000. IBM disposed of 40 advertising agencies; now they have one. Boeing will over the coming years reduce the number of its suppliers from 30,000 to 9,000."

`Momentum' is defined as the impetus gained by a moving object. The authors prefer to define it thus: "Momentum is the fuel in the tank that drives strategy into action." How will an inspired, highly-tuned, peak performer with high degrees of momentum be? "He gets out of bed in the morning and is clear about what he is going to do. He stays focussed during the day and has everything under control. He gets excited about new prospects and challenges. He is clear about what he wants and how he gets it. He is just as alert at the end of the day as when the day started. He does what he says. In the face of adversity, he continues to manage."

Among `the golden rules of building momentum' are seven tips on staying energised, checklists for building values and much emphasis on self-esteem. Gather speed, exhort the authors, saying that being speedy is easy. How? "Return calls quickly. Open your e-mail and act — don't keep going back to it. Reduce the time through the think, plan, do, decision cycle. Do not always strive for perfection; 90 per cent right is often good enough. Find every short cut possible to hit the target; this means delegation to peer groups, boss and team. Do it now, don't drag the job out."

Check if your fuel tank has enough momentum to propel you to the nearest bookshop!

BookMark@thehindu.co.in

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