FALL 2015

246 THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK
JOHN GRAHAM IT’S YOUR QUESTIONS THAT MAKE THE SALE from page 244
• What if a new competitor moves in on us?
Between believing “nothing can stop us” and failing to
probe the competitive landscape, it’s easy to be
blindsided, to wake up one morning and say, “We have
a problem.” Staying on the offensive is critical, but
having a defensive strategy is equally important. Getting
caught off guard can lead to negative consequences.
• What if we lose a major supplier? You may
think certain vendors love you. Perhaps. But just
remember: “Love is blind.” Far too often, businesses
see what they want to see –– and then it’s too late.
Nothing is forever, so make sure your options are always
lined up.
• What if we don’t know what we don’t know?
Businesses are often “closed
systems,” more akin to “solitary
confinement” than they are to
classrooms. Employees know the
topics that are “off limits” to open
discussion, while “impenetrable
walls” guard against the threat of
fresh ideas. In it such a stultifying
atmosphere is it any wonder that
companies fail to meet new
challenges and opportunities?
• What if a key person
leaves?
Count on it because it always
happens. It will be the one who’s
“indispensable,” the one “we
can’t do without.” But that actually may be the person
who specializes in maintaining the status quo, impedes
change, and makes it difficult for the business to make
the right moves. When the indispensable person makes
an exit, the door of opportunity opens wide.
• What if our market changes? Acknowledging
change is like pushing a boulder up a mountain,
particularly when it involves critical business issues. It
isn’t easy. GM did it for decades and Research in Motion
had to hit the ropes before admitting they were faced
with a life threatening problem.
• What if we have a serious problem that
impacts our customers? Plan on it. It will occur.
That’s why having a plan ready is absolutely necessary.
And, by the way, denial is not a plan, neither is trying to
put a “spin” on it or hiding from the media –– “no
comment” doesn’t make the cut. That leaves one option
if you want to be viewed as credible and put it behind you
as quickly as possible: being candid and clear, i.e., tell
WHILE A POSITIVE
ATTITUDE IS ESSENTIAL
IN BUSINESS...FAILING
TO THINK ABOUT THE
UNTHINKABLE IS
NOT A PLAN
the truth. It’s the stuff of which trust is made.
• What if marketing and sales don’t get along?
Unfortunately, “sacred silos” are alive and well when it
comes to marketing and sales. In a recent Corporate
Visions survey, two-thirds of the responding companies
“struggle” with collaborative efforts between marketing
and sales. One solution for overcoming this pervasive
problem may be marketing automation technologies that
allow flexible, response-appropriate actions based on
where the customer is at the moment so data flows
seamlessly from marketing to sales and vice versa.
• What if your largest customer leaves? It may
be closing its doors, being sold or moving to a new
vendor. Whatever the cause, it can instantly raise doubts
among employees who fear for
their jobs. The effects often
extend to customers and other
business relationships. Many
businesses seem to rely on
keeping their fingers crossed
when it comes to the unthinkable
rather than asking themselves a
serious question: What steps
should we be taking to mitigate
the effects of losing a large
customer?
• What if we drop the ball
or mess up a customer’s
order? Let’s be clear: an excuse
is the last thing a customer wants
to hear when this happens. Right? Yet, we continue
making excuses rather than offering explanations that
make clear what we’ll do to assure customer
satisfaction.
• What if we get a negative online business
review? It can happen to any business today, not just
restaurants and plumbers. And the smartphone is driving
it. Consumers can “do it now” before anger cools. If you
have good reviews, a poor review should not be a
problem. Customers are suspicious of 100% great
reviews. One negative is understandable since you can’t
please every customer every time. The key is to monitor
sites regularly so there are no surprises.
While every business is faced with overcoming
challenges, avoiding unnecessary damage is more than
worth the effort to think about the unthinkable. Ironically,
focusing on the “what if” questions may be the path to
getting over the hurdles and reaching your company’s
objective.
JOHN GRAHAM