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It’s great to check things off your list. The satisfaction of completing something. Mowing the lawn. Fixing the leaky faucet. But building that kick-ass Excel spreadsheet?
Seeing your accomplishment is so important. But in a knowledge-based career, does that spreadsheet have the same satisfaction as some of those physical chores? I think it’s all about perspective… but I try, and I try… and I can’t get no…
Give this iconic song by the Rolling Stones a listen as we hear what the experts are saying this week.
‘Cause I Try and I Try…
I remember a few things from my MBA ‘Services Marketing’ courses (even though it was soooo long ago!). My marketing experience to that point had been in B2B software selling products. Selling a service can be so much more complex – on top of the standard ‘4 Ps’ (Product, Price, Place, Promotion), you have another three to consider: People, Processes, and Physical Evidence.
These are the elements that allow you to create some sense of tangible value in your service. For many SaaS companies, there is an element of services involved as well – and many companies fall short in really focusing on these additional elements of their marketing mix.
I’m sure Forrester will be talking demand waterfall metrics at #b2bsummit this week. How are your B2B sales and marketing teams communicating the value in their activities? Sure – deals closed and leads generated are important – but what other activity metrics are relevant and important to stakeholders in the organization? Don’t forget the people, processes, and physical evidence (activity reports, dashboards) – and avoid that useless information that bogs so many of us down!
10,000 Hours of Kick-ass Spreadsheets
Speaking of important metrics, remember the 10,000-hour rule? Malcolm Gladwell famously said that the key to achieving world-class expertise in any skill is a matter of practicing the correct way, for about 10,000 hours.
There are some truly valuable things we can all take away from the 10,000-hour rule:
- You need to practice carefully.
- “Talent” is mostly a myth.
- It’s going to be a long journey.
- Put the time in and you’ll reach your goal!
Musical U provides recommendations on where musicians should spend their 10,000 hours: their instrument, music theory, and ear training.
The key to this is to connect the three. Rather than allotting isolated time to each, you should find a way to connect practice in one area to the other two. This can require some imagination but will reinforce the understanding and make it stick much more.
And what about in B2B? What ‘instruments’ are you using? What theory and training? The same rules apply: practice these things mindfully, find ways to connect them, and continue to try, and you try, and you try, and you try and you CAN get that satisfaction of expertise!
As always, don’t hesitate to call me to brainstorm or just say hello!
Looking forward,
Rick
Rick Endrulat, President | ricke@v-causeway.com | www.linkedin.com/in/rickendrulat