RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IN UNSETTLED TIME
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IN UNSETTLED TIME
The same group of people seldom managed the various phases of growth.
This year, management styles has become muddied.
The survival mode of operation is forcing management to conserve their most precious resource: talented people.
Firms are finding they can cut back to a core group of highly talented and motivated people. They are quickly finding they can run "leaner, meaner and better." While there are short term pains, management is realizing they can have a better organization overall.
Re-Assessing Positions, Priorities
Management is quickly finding they must weigh what they are doing internally versus what they should be doing internally. Then they can determine what they should outsource.
Today, few firms do much – or any – of their own production in-house. Many are essentially technology developers and marketers.
They buy cases from specialists; have boards and packages produced and stuffed by specialists; and purchase a complete range of components from specialists.
Many like Dell, HP, Sony, Cisco, Pioneer and others never even take possession of the product. Instead it is shipped direct to the channel partner or consumer.
This approach enables management to adapt more rapidly to sudden industry/marketplace changes. Technology and manufacturing can be changed almost overnight.
Management knows that it takes almost no time for someone to reverse-engineer even the most advanced technology, thus nullifying their perceived advantage.
In addition, the company doesn't need to be tied down to heavy investments in production equipment which has to be prematurely written-off and replaced.
More importantly, they don't have to deal with the problem and expense of hiring, firing, training, retraining and retaining personnel.
Fixed assets not only lock companies into specific technology, they are quickly outdated.
Outsourcing permits maximum flexibility.
It preserves capital.
It can produce dramatic savings.
It frees management to focus its energy on more pressing areas of concern ... like marketing, staying ahead of the competition, focusing on customers.
Marketing Mind-Set Changes
In addition to examining their manufacturing functions, management has to look at their marketing communications activities.
Companies have been cutting their internal advertising and public relations staffs instead of expanding them.
At the same time, the need for solid, diverse communications programs has grown.
The trend is a solid move toward creating marketing partnerships between the agency and the company rather than simply having the agency create ads, pump out news releases, compile mailing lists, refine and execute social network, blogger, press relationship activities.
Partnership Key
Because of the fiercely competitive and rapidly changing environment, management is not only more cost-conscious; they are also more market-/customer-driven. To take advantage of as much of the outside expertise as possible, management has found that they are sharing more of their strategic marketing plans with their agency so that they are better and more effective partners.
Companies are finding that one of the key benefits of a partnership relationship is objectivity. The outside partner has to continually focus on what customers buy and why. They need to tap into the consumers’ wants and needs rather than the features/capabilities so the customer can see that the benefits outweigh the cost of the goods and services.
We all know that people buy from people, not companies.
Companies and agencies that have strengthened the team relationship note that while there are differences in their disciplines, thought processes and approaches; the objectives are still the same…communicate something to someone.
Communications-- whether it is advertising or public relations -- assists the company in selling something to someone ... hopefully a lot of something to a lot of someones.
The new responsibilities the external partner has in the marketing process also places increased demands on the agency to produce measurable results. Agencies are expanding their service expertise in the areas of social networks, citizen journalists and customer communications.
This approach ensures messages —internal and external – are consistent, meaningful and useful for the firm’s overall marketing effort.
While the partnership role provides greater opportunities for the agency, it also places more responsibility on them. Being more involved with the marketing efforts also means they are more accountable.
They have a responsibility to management to provide suggestions and recommendations on efforts that can have a major impact on the company's success and execute the final plan as flawlessly as possible.
To ensure this level of support and improve the partnership relationship, clients involve the external team in sales calls, sales meetings, distributor meetings and trade shows. The result of these additional activities is better-focused communications programs, activities and results.
While the debate continues on internal vs external communications support, corporate/marketing management usually finds that the external partner approach frees up key core personnel and is more cost-effective.
Both parties invest a lot of time and effort in the relationship. The partnership commits the agency to the client's success. The partnership gives the client optimum freedom to change direction almost overnight. All of the parties are familiar with and committed to the companies' success and position in a highly volatile period and marketplace.
# # #
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IN UNSETTLED TIME - To learn more about this author, visit Andy Marken's Website.
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Up until last year, when things really got tough (fiscally and image wise), it was commonly felt that companies went through three types of management--one that could carry them through the tough start-up period, another that could rapidly ramp the firm up and a third business manager for a growing, successful enterprise.
The same group of people seldom managed the various phases of growth.
This year, management styles has become muddied.
The survival mode of operation is forcing management to conserve their most precious resource: talented people.
Firms are finding they can cut back to a core group of highly talented and motivated people. They are quickly finding they can run "leaner, meaner and better." While there are short term pains, management is realizing they can have a better organization overall.
Re-Assessing Positions, Priorities
Management is quickly finding they must weigh what they are doing internally versus what they should be doing internally. Then they can determine what they should outsource.
Today, few firms do much – or any – of their own production in-house. Many are essentially technology developers and marketers.
They buy cases from specialists; have boards and packages produced and stuffed by specialists; and purchase a complete range of components from specialists.
Many like Dell, HP, Sony, Cisco, Pioneer and others never even take possession of the product. Instead it is shipped direct to the channel partner or consumer.
This approach enables management to adapt more rapidly to sudden industry/marketplace changes. Technology and manufacturing can be changed almost overnight.
Management knows that it takes almost no time for someone to reverse-engineer even the most advanced technology, thus nullifying their perceived advantage.
In addition, the company doesn't need to be tied down to heavy investments in production equipment which has to be prematurely written-off and replaced.
More importantly, they don't have to deal with the problem and expense of hiring, firing, training, retraining and retaining personnel.
Fixed assets not only lock companies into specific technology, they are quickly outdated.
Outsourcing permits maximum flexibility.
It preserves capital.
It can produce dramatic savings.
It frees management to focus its energy on more pressing areas of concern ... like marketing, staying ahead of the competition, focusing on customers.
Marketing Mind-Set Changes
In addition to examining their manufacturing functions, management has to look at their marketing communications activities.
Companies have been cutting their internal advertising and public relations staffs instead of expanding them.
At the same time, the need for solid, diverse communications programs has grown.
The trend is a solid move toward creating marketing partnerships between the agency and the company rather than simply having the agency create ads, pump out news releases, compile mailing lists, refine and execute social network, blogger, press relationship activities.
Partnership Key
Because of the fiercely competitive and rapidly changing environment, management is not only more cost-conscious; they are also more market-/customer-driven. To take advantage of as much of the outside expertise as possible, management has found that they are sharing more of their strategic marketing plans with their agency so that they are better and more effective partners.
Companies are finding that one of the key benefits of a partnership relationship is objectivity. The outside partner has to continually focus on what customers buy and why. They need to tap into the consumers’ wants and needs rather than the features/capabilities so the customer can see that the benefits outweigh the cost of the goods and services.
We all know that people buy from people, not companies.
Companies and agencies that have strengthened the team relationship note that while there are differences in their disciplines, thought processes and approaches; the objectives are still the same…communicate something to someone.
Communications-- whether it is advertising or public relations -- assists the company in selling something to someone ... hopefully a lot of something to a lot of someones.
The new responsibilities the external partner has in the marketing process also places increased demands on the agency to produce measurable results. Agencies are expanding their service expertise in the areas of social networks, citizen journalists and customer communications.
This approach ensures messages —internal and external – are consistent, meaningful and useful for the firm’s overall marketing effort.
While the partnership role provides greater opportunities for the agency, it also places more responsibility on them. Being more involved with the marketing efforts also means they are more accountable.
They have a responsibility to management to provide suggestions and recommendations on efforts that can have a major impact on the company's success and execute the final plan as flawlessly as possible.
To ensure this level of support and improve the partnership relationship, clients involve the external team in sales calls, sales meetings, distributor meetings and trade shows. The result of these additional activities is better-focused communications programs, activities and results.
While the debate continues on internal vs external communications support, corporate/marketing management usually finds that the external partner approach frees up key core personnel and is more cost-effective.
Both parties invest a lot of time and effort in the relationship. The partnership commits the agency to the client's success. The partnership gives the client optimum freedom to change direction almost overnight. All of the parties are familiar with and committed to the companies' success and position in a highly volatile period and marketplace.
# # #
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IN UNSETTLED TIME - To learn more about this author, visit Andy Marken's Website.
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David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
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John AlexanderJohn has taught keyword research and SEO skills to small groups of business owners and Webmasters from over 80 different countries world wide since 2002. John is also the Director of Search Engine Academy ; Co-director of Training at Search Engine Workshops offering live, SEO Workshops with his partner SEO educator Robin Nobles, author of the very first comprehensive online search engine marketing courses at SEO Training Online and the SEO Workshop Resource Center. I look forward to hearing from you! - Visit John Alexander's Website |
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Dave KurlanDave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
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John PowerJohn Power, founder of Biltmore Franchise Consulting, has extensive experience developing and marketing franchises and business opportunities. He has been in and around franchising for over twenty years. From 1980 through 1990 he conceptualized, organized, and developed the American Video Association. He grew AVA to 2,000 national members, before selling the company it 1990. It was later merged into another home video marketing company. From 2000 to 2005 he worked as a contract marketing and human resources consultant to several local and national companies. In 2005 Mr. Power began working as a franchise development consultant on a full-time basis. Since that time he has helped more than three dozen companies initiate and develop their franchising program. He notes that there are many companies interested in developing a franchise program, and who need his specialized assistance. Mr. Power is a “hands-on” franchise consultant. He said, “I am the ‘nuts and bolts’ person who tends to the details for my clients.” Mr. Power holds a B.S. degree with a major in Marketing. See: www.biltmorefranchise.com You may contact Mr. Power at: jpower@biltmorefranchise.co - Visit John Power's Website |
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Linda RichardsonLinda Richardson is the Founder and Executive Chairwoman of Richardson, a global sales training and performance improvement company. As a recognized leader in the industry, she has won the coveted Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence and she was identified by Training Industry, Inc. as one of the “Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals.” Ms. Richardson is credited with the movement to Consultative Selling and is the author of ten books on selling and sales management, including Sales Coaching — Making the Great Leap from Sales Manager to Sales Coach, and Stop Telling, Start Selling. She teaches sales and management at the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton Executive Development Center. Linda is a frequent speaker at industry and client conferences, has been published extensively in industry and training journals, and has been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Nation’s Business, Selling Power, Success, and The Conference Board Magazine. Learn more about Richardson's sales training and performance improvement solutions at http://www.richardson.com web - Visit Linda Richardson's Website |
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Stephanie RobeyStephanie Robey is President and CoFounder of Pivot Positive, LLC - an Internet marketing business focused on helping people start work at home ventures. Previously, she was employed at The Search Agency with over 20 years experience in graphic design and 10 years experience in online marketing. She was responsible for launching the Conversion Path Optimization (CPO) unit where she and her team have conducted hundreds of optimization tests for online companies across multiple verticals. She is a successful entrepreneur having started and sold 2 companies and remains on the board of directors of the third, PhotoSpin.com Stephanie began her career in the direct marketing realm creating and producing direct mail for many of the major cable television companies and directly attributes her understanding of Internet marketing to those early offline experiences. Stephanie is a graduate of San Diego State University with a BFA in Graphic Arts and also holds an Executive MBA from the Graziadio School of Business and Management at Pepperdine University. Read Steph's Blog Meet Steph and Dave Sign up for our Free 7-Day BootCamp: Self Employed & Rich - Visit Stephanie Robey's Website |
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