From Locker Room to Board Room
by Mike Wagner

You don't know Tim Beck... unless you live in Nebraska. Then you most certainly know he is the new Offensive Coordinator for the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers.

Coach Beck's first press conference produced several "leadership nuggets" that are as applicable in your organization as on the football field. Business could learn a thing or two from college football coaches, in general, and Tim Beck in particular:

Don't be afraid to start over - Sports reporters heard, in no uncertain terms, that things were going to be different for Nebraska's offense next season. Beck made his attitude toward change abundantly clear...
Read complete article >

Leadership Challenge:
Which customers make your organization viable?

It's a simple question, but most leaders we encounter don't have an answer. They are more focused on serving the most recent customer, which they assume, makes them viable. This often results in allocating too many resources to "one-off" customers instead of serving those who make your organization viable.

To gain a better understanding of which customers make you viable, try this exercise:

• Gather the last three years of sales data
• Identify which customers have made your organization more viable, enlisting the help of your CFO, if necessary
• List what you've done to make your organization more attractive to these customers
• List what you've done to improve your ability to serve these customers

If you find that your list is pretty short, refocus the organization on attracting and serving your most viable customers. When you invest in them, your customers will invest in you.

Ask the Rabbit
Q: I love your approach, but as a sales representative (not a CEO), what can I do to start working on my company's customer experience?

A: Since our systemic approach involves all Three Forces of Business, we often get this question from those not in the top leadership position in their organizations. There are, however, steps you can take inside your business force to focus on customer experience.

The highest impact action is to identify the Right Customer for your organization. Knowing your Right Customer focuses your time and energy in pursuing prospects that will have the largest impact on your organization - and you as a salesperson. We encounter many companies who don't know their Right Customer so their salespeople chase after "anything that moves" - regardless if they are a good fit for the business.

For example, after identifying their Right Customer, a client realized they were sending sales reps to trade shows attended by only "wrong customers". It was costing them over $10,000 per year to chase wrong customers.

Shaping your organization's customer experience can be as simple as adjusting where you focus your time and energy. Create a win for yourself and your organization by focusing your sales efforts on the Right Customer.

dj kljd kljfklj jklj

This email was sent by White Rabbit Group, 3650 68th Street, Suite C, Des Moines, IA 50322.