Six Sigma Selling: Sales Kaizen Events are on the Map

November 13, 2008

Sales Kaizen Events are on the Map

I've been doing Sales Kaizen events for several years now (often without calling them by that name). They are an excellent way to focus everyone's attention on how best to find, win, and keep customers. Salespeople really appreciate them, because they are used to training events where, often, nothing really changes.

Sales Kaizen Events - where great strides are made in front of everyone's eyes - are usually quite a treat!

More than 260 people registered for last week's teleseminar to learn how to conduct a Sales Kaizen event for their company. Well over 100 attended the call. In case you missed it, the replay is now up: www.saleskaizen.com. You can revisit the replay page at www.saleskaizen.com/seminar.aspx (although you have to opt in at the home page to get the handouts). There is now a short automated survey form at the end (you no longer have to send us an email to get the full handout).

Here are some of the great comments I received so far. My friend, Jay Bronec, who runs a technical training and consulting firm in the Chicago area, said:

"Excellent presentation..... I was too shy to answer the question why companies don't do Sales Kaizen Events. The answer is exactly why Deming was heard by Japanese Management and not American Management. Japanese management was in Crisis (there is debate if Crisis translates in Chinese to Danger Opportunity), and therefore they had a basic survival instinct that allowed them to ask for help."

Jay Bronec, Qualifine, Inc.

Here's what Nedra Sadorf in Milwaukee said:

"I thought you did a great job connecting to the "pain" (salespeople feel over-worked and under-appreciated; too little data to address effectively). The framework for applying the Kaizen was also solid, and understandable (an achievement in and of itself). It is certainly exciting to see such a positive response in the sales & marketing world to Kaizen and things six-sigma."

Nedra Sadorf, V.P. Consulting, Hunter Business Group

Incidentally, the way I got your attention, offered some valuable information, and secured your feedback through this event is a "best practice" lead-generation technique.

Many manufacturing Kaizen Events focus on known best practices such as set-up reduction, cellular manufacturing, or Kanban.

Direct Response Internet marketing lead generation is a great example of such a best practice you can apply in a Sales Kaizen Event. Since it can be automated via inexpensive systems and runs 24x7x365 once it is set up, it is probably something your organization should consider doing too!

Next: Tons of callers wanted to know more about the Sales Process Improvement Guidebook Series.

So, within a few days, I hope to have a great announcement for you.

Stay tuned!

Michael Webb

November 10, 2008

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Comments

interesting points..as I'm very familiar with manufacturing Kaizen, this concept really open up another dimension to improve services using Kaizen.

Posted by: bard | November 24, 2008 at 11:11 PM

@bard - I completely agree with you. Also, sales processes are the ultimate service.
MW

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What People Say

Frank Wiley, President - Magnitude Marketing, LLC
"Webb's breakthrough ideas show how marketing, selling, and servicing functions can be approached as a process - with input and outputs, causes and effects. I highly recommend this book to all senior executives - whether they are aiming for better forecasting, better market share, higher margins, or reduced cost of sales. It will completely change the way you view sales and marketing, and help you get a handle on sales process improvement."
Bill Bentley, President - Value-Train
"Hats off to Mike Webb for tackling this challenging subject. Improving sales and marketing is like training your cat to come when you call it. It's an interesting thing to think about but full of pitfalls to the uninitiated. Mike however is very initiated and this book does a good job of showing you how quantitative methods can apply to a traditionally hard to manage business. It's not that sales forces don't have metrics. You could argue that they have the ultimate metric. Did we make the sale? Like your cat, these groups seem to have a mind of their own and the cause and effect of the activities that go into making the sale aren't usually methodically examined and improved. Mike shows you how to do that with style."
Jeff Kostermans President & CEO, LeadGenesys
"Think about it... marketing and sales can easily represent nearly half of your company’s annual expenses. This expense is far from being optimized when 9 out 10 leads are typically discarded early in the sales cycle. Companies that do not apply a systematic and truly accountable approach to blending marketing and sales will undoubtedly struggle to survive in this increasingly competitive business climate. This book concisely applies practical Six Sigma methods to help companies boost customer value and realize greater ROI out of their marketing and sales investment. If you know there’s room for improvement between your marketing and sales teams, I highly recommend you leverage this book as a key competitive advantage."
Dan Kosch and Mark Shonka, Co-Presidents of IMPAX Corporation
“This book is essential reading for anyone in sales and marketing. Mike Webb’s unique perspective is captured in this excellent roadmap on how to organize, measure, and lead both marketers and sellers to greater success."
Ray McKinney, Director of Development - Matrix Technologies
“Michael Webb has once again demonstrated his clear and systematic thinking about delivering value to customers in this must read book, ‘Sales and Marketing the Six Sigma Way.' In this book, Mike provides tools to help measure your sales processes in terms important to your customers. Then, you can continuously improve your processes of Finding, Winning and Keeping Customers.”
Aaron Ross, Director, Corporate Development, Salesforce.com
"Sales and marketing organizations have historically been slow in adopting the benefits of Six Sigma for a variety of reasons, especially because of the effort required to "translate" the ideas, tools and case studies in ways that make clearly sense to their world. Michael Webb has created a book for them that finally makes it easier to understand both what the benefits are, and how to achieve them. Thank you Michael!"
Perry Marshall, Principal - Perry Marshall and Associates
"Michael Webb has a very incisive, clear-headed approach to untangling complex sales problems. 'Sales and Marketing the Six Sigma Way' breaks the sales funnel into its component parts and systematically identifies bottlenecks and disconnects that waste your time and resources. Selling might have been done by the seat-of-the-pants in the 20th century, but that isn't going to work now. Those who miss this shift will find themselves further and further behind quotas and locked in a corporate pressure cooker. But those who recognize and act will discover that the current business climate can be enormously rewarding and profitable. This book is not a sales rah-rah session. It takes enormously successful methods from manufacturing and applies them to the toughest job in your company - getting orders from customers. I wholeheartedly recommend Michael and his innovative methods."
Willis Turner, CAE, CSE - President/CEO, Sales and Marketing Executives International (SMEI)
"Michael Webb brings true understanding to sales and marketing through process thinking. If you want a harmonious relationship between sales, marketing and customer service that will drive customer value, you need to read this book!"
Sheila Mello, Author, "Customer-Centric Product Definition"
"If you don't know what you have done to succeed or what has caused you to fail, you are leaving your destiny to chance. In our experience, when you understand and remove obstacles to your customers achieving their objectives, you create customer value by helping them succeed. In addition, putting your own processes under the microscope can reveal the what's inhibiting you from achieving your sales goals. Michael Webb's straightforward approach to sales and marketing using the popular Six Sigma method is presented with a sense of humor and lots of examples. Well worth your time!"
Kamal Hassan, Global VP of Business Development, BMG
“If more books on the subject were as concise and fun to read as 'Sales and Marketing the Six Sigma Way,' the business world would be a better place. The book will provide sales and marketing executives with money-making tools they can use daily.”
Jack Snader, President Systema Corporation
"Applying Six Sigma to Sales and Marketing?? Initially I was skeptical, but after reading this book, I'm a believer. Applying these principles correctly will help sales managers solve many of the challenges they face every day in their quest to improve sales performance.”
Paul Greenberg, Author, CRM at the Speed of Light
"It isn't often that I can recommend a Six Sigma book because reducing defects tends to be product focused and internally oriented. This book is not only different but better than any other Six Sigma book I've ever seen because it actually shows how to use it to increase the value of your relationships and experiences with your customers. This is the way Six Sigma should be done."
Gregory T. Deininger, V.P. National Accounts, Marriott
"The name of the game is not to design the sales process around ourselves, but to create customer value. 'Sales and Marketing the Six Sigma Way' is relevant to all executives who are looking to deliver maximum results internally and externally.”
John Biedry, Senior Vice President Continuous Improvement, ServiceMaster
“Sales and marketing are new frontiers for Six Sigma and Michael’s book provides practical insights for any organization that is considering how to connect their continuous improvement efforts with top line growth and customer satisfaction."

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November 13, 2008

Sales Kaizen Events are on the Map

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