| March 2010
The Enlightened Manager Newsletter
A quick read for busy government, industry and association executives, managers & sales professionals
GSA MOBIS schedule holder for management and risk consulting
King County facilitation and performance coaching contractor
=====================================================================================================
|
In this issue:
======================================================================================================
|
|
 1. Good management is like brushing your teeth
I had coffee with a client last week at Blackbird Bakery, one of the many family owned coffee shops on Bainbridge Island. The only Starbucks, by local decree, is hidden in the Safeway. Anyway, we began discussing how almost all of the attributes of being an effective manager or [insert occupation of your choice] require the development of good habits. Really great managers would no more say something demeaning to an employee than they would leave the house without brushing their teeth.
This is also applies to accepting change, listening to differing opinions and making difficult phone calls when an email won't suffice. Every one of these traits, while being easy for some, only happen as a result of determination and repetition for others.
Teeth, like good management skills, will decay if neglected. Successful salespeople, for instance, know this to be a fact. Daily sales calls equal results. There is no alternative. The contrast between action and inaction is stark. Management, on the other hand, is colored with shades of gray. A single day's inattention to "enlightened" behavior might be excused. But, a few weeks of creating fire drills or creating a hostile work environment soon settles into a deeply entrenched habit. Don't risk alienating staff or reaching a professional stalemate.
Good management rarely appears when leaders lose their emotional center. We owe it to the people who employ and follow us and to ourselves to brush our management skills on a regular basis.
Mike Celerity Works Read more about Enlightened Management
=========================================================================
|
2. How to avoid chasing poor sales leads
The time and money so many government contractors and sales professionals waste qualifying and chasing new business opportunities could, with a little honest introspection, be eliminated. That's why I encourage my clients to employ a pursuit decision making process - a simple matrix that poses a set of key questions that, if not answered in the affirmative, result in the decision not to continue. The use of such a decision tool also tends to objectify decisions -- taking unnecessary emotions out of the equation.
Here is an example of a typical set of pursuit decision questions from one small government contractor's matrix:
-
Is a significant part of this work consistent with one of our
four core competencies?
-
Will we be perceived as a credible prime contractor? Or, if
a sub, will a prime need our competencies or experience with this client to
win?
-
Is it in a target location and/or with a target client?
-
If there is a major incumbent, are they vulnerable
and are we (our team) potentially strong/big enough to unseat them?
-
Is there a reasonable chance of it
being a funded project?
-
If a very small task (< $100K), is it of strategic importance
(also see #1 above)? Could it result in more substantial business?
-
Is there enough time to adequately market the client prior to
an RFP being released?
Try it -- the return on investment is impressive and inspiring!
Learn more
=========================================================================
|
3. Work smarter to win more business
Struggling to meet your business growth objectives? Here are twenty of the most common challenges to sales success that I have encountered as a result of ten years managing sales professionals and then eleven years coaching them (and their bosses):
1. Developing winning growth strategies
2. Making wise sales pursuit and bid decisions
3. Knowing where to look for new agency clients
4. Maintaining a focus on priorities
5. Knowing the best places to network
6. Understanding marketing techniques for the
market vertical
7. Managing upward (relating to and influencing the
company president)
8. Staying focused on the objective
9. Developing successful account plans and
opportunity win plans
10. Building
winning industry teams
11. Building
productive prime/subcontractor relationships
12. Understanding
the differences between commercial & government sales
13. Making
successful government sales calls
14. Understanding
basic proposal do's and don'ts
15. Making
more effective presentations
16. Improving
time management
17. Balancing
work and everything else
18. Being
a better (more active) listener
19. Mapping
a government sales or management career path
20. Learning
how and when to say no
Any of these look familiar? If so, then some outside help can really make a difference.
Learn more
=========================================================================
|
4. Small business owners beware
I've noticed a disturbing number of online advertisers claiming that all you need to do is get a GSA schedule and "you can tap into a steady stream of government business." While an important part of the equation, GSA schedules don't automatically generate new business.
Successful government sales requires a disciplined streamlined
business development strategy and approach, targeted research and marketing, and effective relationship
building. It's a great market with clients who are really dedicated to their mission. But, it takes time and effort.
Unsure how to proceed? Ask me or another qualified consultant to help you avoid the
most common mistakes and achieve your growth objectives.
Contact Mike
=============================================================================
|
5. Seven Tips to Ensure A Winning Business Development Strategy
Get this FREE
Market Connections white paper sharing the best business development practices of
government IT contractors. This 2009/10 Government Contractor Study reveals valuable insights and tips from contractors
with the highest win rates.
Download the report
Market Connections is a valued Celerity Works client.
=================================================================
|
|
|
|
6. 2010 Walk MS: Only six weeks to go!
The daily reality of MS is still impacting thousands of people including my wife, Trude. Literally hundreds of thousands of individuals are struggling with this illness. Which is why your support is so important if we are to cure this disease. We're thrilled that Team Lisagor has already registered 45 people and raised $4,350. But, we still have a long way to go to reach our goal of $10,000.
So, please donate online and, if in town, join us on Saturday, April 10 at Bainbridge High School (30 minute ferry ride from downtown Seattle). We also appreciate everyone who joins our team as virtual walkers. That means you can register to be on Team Lisagor even though you can't be here in person!
All the information you need is on Trude's walk ms team web site. You can also create a personal web page as part of our team with your own individual goal. Let us know if you need any help doing this.
Or, if you prefer, you can donate by mail by sending a check (made out to the National MS Society) to:
Team Lisagor
120 Wood Ave. SW
Bainbridge Island, WA 98110
Thank you so much for supporting this important cause...a world free of MS!
=================================================================
|
| |
Winning and Managing Government Business (click to read more or order)
"Winning and Managing Government Business is a concise,
easy-to-understand and to the point overview of securing and doing
business with the federal government. It provides step-by-step
instructions on approaches for penetrating government markets, how to
do your prep work prior to proposal time, and then how to respond and
win opportunities. It's a definite must read if you're new to the
government space. It's also very handy if you're a savvy veteran as
it's full of checklists, timelines and templates you can use in real
world situations. I've been involved with government contracting for
over 15 years and found this book to be very useful and practical."
- M. Cosgrave, VP, ManTech International
The Enlightened Manager (click to read more or order)"Whether you are new to a management role or a 25 year management
veteran, these 20 concise morsels of enlightenment are the heart of
being a successful leader. Worth reading every year !!"
- Business Confluence |
Both available in paperback at www.amazon.com
|
About Mike and Celerity Works
Michael Lisagor founded Celerity Works in 1999 to help government, industry and non-profit executives improve their performance and accelerate their organizational growth. He has performed over 450 organizational assessment interviews, facilitated 200+ meetings and workshops, and coached over 250 managers for 65 organizations.
Benefits and results:
- Government contractors - Win more government business
- Government agencies - Improve performance and manage program risk
- Commercial businesses - Become more efficient and accelerate growth
Consulting services:
- Action-oriented planning and retreat facilitation
- Management performance improvement coaching
- Improved decision making and focus
- Streamlined business growth planning
- Effective program risk management
Government management and risk consulting services available on GSA MOBIS schedule.
Facilitation and performance coaching services available on King County contract.
|
|
|
|
|
|
