Alpha Drone

First Things First: Sales

     There's an old saying in my industry, although I'm sure it's true in all companies that provide a service or product for a price:  "Revenue solves all problems."

     Even from the largest corner office, all CEO's, and everyone at a company depends upon the modest sales person.  If the sales people didn't sell, no one at the company would have a job.  There wouldn't be a need for any of the other departments.  Of course, there are extreme examples where you could argue the point, a start-up biotech leaps to mind, but I'd argue in this case, the founders, in order to perform pure research in the hopes of developing a new drug, device or modality, would have to have sold their vision, expertise, etc. to a private equity firm, or even Uncle Max for that matter.

     Take this case a bit farther, someone would have to have provided the necessary funding to perform the due diligence (that a market even exists for the great big new product, or service) required to even get company XYZ off of the ground.

     Instead, assume a run of the mill company.  Imagine any problem that this company many run aground on.  Can you imagine one problem that an increase in sales wouldn't go a long way to fixing.

     Legal problems come to mind, but if the legal issue is to be worked out, the company will need counsel, top notch, and lots of it.  Where will the money come from?  You can't cost-cut your way out of trouble.  The money comes from sales, every time.  It might be the CEO selling the company to a competitor, but no matter how you cut it, sales and salesmanship rule the roost at all firms.

     I defy you to site even one example that blows-up my first statement.  Just in case your memory is as bad as mine, that statement is, "Revenue solves all problems."

     This is important because every employee, at every company performs some act that requires sales skills every day. 

    

"I've been thinking..."

    When ever I heard these words I was always tempted to interrupt the speaker and interject,"...instead of working".   Many people  labor under the false apprehension that they'd been hired to bring their fresh ideas to people further up the corporate ladder than themselves.

     Nothing could be further from the truth.

     A real asset to any firm is not the thinker, but the doer.  Compare the employee above, 'employee A', with a second employee, 'B', who instead of barging into my office with an idea, barges in with the results of a new practice, has tried to formulate this practice into a practical idea, but needs help doing so.  Both are looking for attention, and wish to move higher within the firm.  Who am I most likely to work with?

     The difference between the two is that one, 'employee A', needs help from me to test the idea.  'Employee B' has already tested the idea, done something new, and has results, but needs help formulating the idea that underlies these results.

     Now consider that both employees have the same idea.

     Who would you rather have working for you?

     Employee A, may have a great idea, but is really asking me to commit my time and my resources to an unproven new best practice. 

     Employee B has already put this idea to work, achieved some results, and on the basis of those results wants my time and resources to create a new best practice.

     Which employee is likeliest to capture my ear, A or B?  Which employee is one I'll pay more attention to in the future?  Who has left me with a better impression of himself or herself?

     The doer in every environment will always climb the corporate ladder faster, will learn quicker, and always out-performs the thinker.

     Employee A wants to give me something: risk of a new practice.  Employee B, having already taken the risk of a new practice also wants to give me something: a piece of the reward from a new best practice.

     Now do you know which employee is most valued? 

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Site under Construction

     Please be patient, w/in a week, several shorter introductory entries will populate this site.  The articles you read here will be from my experience, personal knowledge or complete fabrications that support my ideas.

    The blogshere is crowded with business blogs; serious and real ones but mostly mediocre rehashed ideas.  Always ask this of any business blog: If this writer were so talent then why isn't he or she sitting at a desk, on a high floor at 5:00 AM running an important initiative at a wildly successful company?

     The answer is what a five year old would tell you; most wildly successful people just haven't got the time to share the lucre, or knowledge if you will.  That knowledge and experience is hard won.  Few people give such things away for nothing.

     Back to you after I finish the crossword, which I'll complete in pencil if the eraser hasn't torn the newspaper.

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Why isn't your Talent Recognized?

     You're reading this because you're a drone.  You'd skip this if you liked being a drone.  You want to lead the pack, so you're an Alpha personality.  Stuck in the career of a Drone.  You're an Alpha Drone.