Inertia Happens...Get Unstuck

When was the last time you did something really incredible? Something you had to mark on your calendar and build a plan to prepare for it? And then…execute? Was it something personal (Triathlon, Marathon, Fitness Competition)? Or business oriented ( a marketing / sales campaign, customer or partner event)? 

Chances are, whatever it was created a tremendous amount of activity, and some measurable result was expected. And at the end of it, all of that momentum that you created culminated in "The Event". And then...it was done. You got your medal, or your certificate, or your sales pipeline. Now what? Well, if you are like most people, you rest…and all your initiative rests. Inertia sets in.

 This stuff happens. It's real life. People do great things all the time, but most often, they don't take advantage of their achievements. Not because they can't...but because they think they've done enough...that they need to stop for a bit to catch their breath. Rest doesn't mean stop. Stopping shuts everything down. They just need to keep moving...sure, slow it down...but do NOT stop.

My team just did something incredible and outrageous. They pulled off a series of partner connection events to:

• Share Goals & Objectives
• Align Resources, Skills & Competencies
• Learn & Share Best Practices

These events were not easy to coordinate, much less execute. But execute they did, and very successfully. And this is where the danger lies. Being satisfied with this will lead to rest and relaxation…which in turn, creates inertia. And since we know it's super hard to get started once you stop…we must take the next step. We must STAY connected and keep momentum.

  Inertia

Inertia isn't just a body in motion tends to stay in motion…it's also a body at rest tends to stay at rest. You have to keep it going.  You cannot let the benefit of everything you have done disappear just because you had some success. It's simply easier to keep momentum going if you put a little effort in, vs starting completely from a dead stall. That's one of the problems with building up to ONE event…you achieve the objective and then what? Stuck. Let me help you get unstuck…and stay unstuck.

 Commit to Dissatisfaction

I am only partially kidding. One of the biggest momentum killers I have experienced is Satisfaction. Having enough. The reality is…you will never have enough. Think about all the things you really want in life:

• Health
• Love
• Success
• Knowledge

Everything on this list takes work to maintain…HARD WORK! Because they are important to us. And yet, every day we sabotage our lives because we fool ourselves into thinking we have enough. We will never have enough. Commit to Dissatisfaction. Always have a goal to achieve…and when you reach a goal, set a new one and build a plan to go for that. Don't wait. Waiting is stopping, and stopping is a killer.

 Stay Ambitious

I've been around the block enough to know that life is pretty up & down. There are many factors to success, and it can be easy to get caught in a wave of good fortune and think that it's because of you, and not a hundred other coincidences. Don't get fooled, and don't get complacent. Know your business, and keep reaching for ways to KNOW why you are winning. Find ways to adapt or advance your plan, and keep looking around corners for problems that will derail you. 

 Follow Up

With regard to all of the connections we've made, I urge my team, and our partners, to take the next step in our partnership. We need to really connect - down to the field level. Determine a cadence that we can stick to. This requires each member of my team to look at their territories, and identify which partners are going to touch the majority of the business - by Skill, Competency and Alignment to Goals. Establish an Operational Model where both parties have work to do.  

Example Next Steps:

• Set follow-up meetings ASAP: Pick Top 5-7 Partners Per District TODAY - Develop a Cadence.
• Participants: Partner Development Manager, Partner Sales Manager, District Sales Manager, Partner Marketing
• Format: F2F
• Time: 2 hour Deep Dive

 Content to prepare from my team: 

• District Manager Sales Goals and Objectives - Get specific and Be Transparent
• Territory Account Overview (what is the breakdown, segment, verticals, etc.)
• Top Targets - Top Opps (Aligned by Account, Workload Focus, Visible Pipeline)
• Business Won (LY, Current Year) - Celebrate Wins!
• Bus Lost (LY, Current Year) - Ask Why, What can we learn?
• Next Steps to progress existing Pipeline and Build NEW Pipeline (Both Parties)
• Planned Marketing Campaigns

 Content from partner: 

• Partner Goals and Objectives
• Partner Accounts Overview (what is the partner customer account breakdown, segment, verticals, etc.)
• How do the partner goals and objectives align with the District Sales Manager Goals? What percent of their business is aligned to our business?
• Focus on Competencies - Superpowers - Is this easy for the Sales Manager to Understand?
• Sales Campaign Review - What will they drive? How will they drive?
• Events Planned?

Be transparent. Align goals and objectives. Be consistent.

 None of this is easy…do it anyway.

 Shift your view.