IN THIS ISSUE:
Executive
Webinars
Executive Webinar,
Sponsored by:
Webinar March 9, 9-10
am PT/12-1 pm ET
"FIVE SECRETS OF TOP PERFORMING
SERVICES FIRMS"
What are you doing to ride the wave of
the next business recovery? Do you know what your competitors
and peers are doing? Would it be worth $195 to find out?
Then join us on March 9 from 9-10 am PT/12-1 ET with
the Association
for Services Management International to hear more.
You'll find some practical insights below on how to avoid
wasting your company's budget on low-value projects.
Here's what one Executive told us after about our last event:
"Your Webinar changed our marketing strategy on
a dime, and led to an impromptu hour-long leadership meeting.
The presentation was so compelling that it brought our FY2005
marketing strategies into VIVID alignment. Lisa, your Five
Secrets are simple, actionable, and invaluable. Thanks for
being a wonderful catalyst in what looks to be a very exciting
year for Activeweb." ---Tyler Francks, Communications
Director, Activeweb Corporation
Get "dialed in" - before your
competition does.
(If you cannot attend, you may purchase
archives of the Webinar, and they'll be available by mid-March.
Just contact AFSMI for
more details.)
SPECIAL OFFER: The first 12 people to register will
receive a complimentary research report and a 20-minute
private advisory call--a $400 value. This special offer
expires at 5 p.m. EST on March 2, 2004.
MY BIG FAT KICKOFF
MEETING - SLIM DOWN, SELL MORE
What's the difference between a company
kickoff meeting and the movie, "My Big Fat Greek Wedding?"
A few years ago, it was difficult to tell them apart. These
lavish, well-orchestrated meetings were once designed to
entertain, reward, and impress.
Was all that fanfare really worth it?
Did it make our work more meaningful and our clients more
satisfied? The evidence says "no."
I reminisced with Dave Stein, author of
How
Winners Sell and fellow sales veteran, on his own
observations. Says Stein, "I've attended meetings where
sales reps got to drive high powered race cars, rode hot-air
balloons through California wine country, and crewed on
a small fleet of America's Cup yachts." Astronauts,
Olympic athletes, and celebrities commanded center stage.
Selfishly speaking, I'll be the first to tell you how much
fun it was to celebrate our company's success four years
ago at a private Florida resort, with Diana Ross as the
surprise entertainer.
The speaker industry capitalized on the
excitement and fanned the flames. Five years ago, the hottest
topics at the National Speakers Association (NSA) centered
on inspiring your audience and being a better storyteller.
Membership reached an all-time high.
Then Tyco and WorldCom blunders hit the
news. Attendance at the 2003 annual American Society for
Training and Development conference plummeted by 80% over
the previous year, and the NSA was scrambling for a new
image.
In today's kickoff meetings, the CEO frequently
replaces the highly paid motivational speaker. During a
2001 Siebel Systems kickoff meeting, for example, the hotel
auditorium doors were teeming with "corporate bouncers"
who made sure that only employees with proper identification
be admitted to hear Tom Siebel's kickoff message.
Siebel's austere style set the stage for
today's more conservative kickoff meeting themes. Now corporations
are undergoing "decadence detox" and running leaner,
more effective events. You may also experience vitality
by following these strategies:
- Identify no more than three key
messages for the event - and do not stray from them.
According to John Baldoni, author of Great
Communication Secrets of Great Leaders, "Have
a good reason to hold the meeting. Is it a new initiative?
A revised sales plan? Some type of transformation in the
company?"
Maintain focus and design all events around this key message.
Also, send some preliminary conference materials to the
attendees in advance of the meeting to help them get up
to speed on those important themes.
- Actively involve the attendees
throughout the program. Avoid lengthy "general sessions"
that force people to suffer through Power Point marathons.
Create exercises and assignments that help participants
learn and immediately implement your key messages. Baldoni
suggests organizing highly interactive, experiential breakout
sessions. Require the attendees to come to the meeting
prepared to discuss something relevant to the challenges
or opportunities they are facing. This may include information
about certain competitors, their target markets, or how
they won their last sale.
Brooke Kolconay, senior events manager of The
Castle Group, concurs. "When we plan events for
our clients we follow this fundamental rule. In fact,
one of our software clients had the challenge of presenting
a large amount of new information to a 200-person sales
audience. Originally the client requested to present all
information in one large general session. Instead, we
suggested they offer a short general session to establish
the broad points of the meeting, and then break attendees
into smaller groups that focused on individual attendees'
needs." The Castle Group's post-event surveys confirmed
that this event generated very high enthusiasm and a renewed
commitment to sell their products.
- Carefully manage the "Entertainment
Factor." One of Castle Group's other technology
clients recently integrated a teambuilding "Survivor"
event into their sales meeting. As attendees entered the
room, they received a branded company "Survivor"
bandana and were seated at round tables. The centerpiece
for each table included a glass bowl full of of "dirt"
(crumbled Oreo cookies and gummy worms) and a magnetized
board.
After listening to the presenters, attendees were instructed
to "dig for the message." They had two minutes
to sift through their dirt pile, extract the magnetized
letters and unscramble them to reveal key points made
in the meeting. The result ended in greater product information
retention, yet was not perceived to be an excessive use
of entertainment dollars to get the job done.
Tony Conway, president of Atlanta-based Legendary Events,
no longer plans the same number of overweight events of
yesteryear. Says Conway, "Not long ago, my clients'
most pressing questions were, 'How big and unique can
you get?' Today, clients want a more restrained program
that is extremely high-quality, but doesn't send that
over-the-top message."
Start embracing simpler methods to enroll your teams in
your company's goals. Let's say "no" to event
excess, and "yes" to sales success. That's a
lot easier to digest than a bowl of baklava.
OPA!
--Lisa Nirell
http://www.energizegrowth.com/
